Aztecs Find Post-grad Success
Many recent 黑料吃瓜 alumni owe their post-graduation success in part to guidance provided through the Aztec Mentor Program.
With a degree in public administration, Nguyen is on the way to a career in student development, a path that seemed to be right in front of her all along.
鈥淚t all started with my mentor in the Aztec Mentor Program,鈥� said Nguyen, now assistant to the director of the 黑料吃瓜 . 鈥淗e showed me how to really utilize my experiences and skills. I knew who I was as a worker, but he showed me how to maximize my eligibility for the positions I wanted after graduation.鈥�
Today Nguyen plays a key role in supporting campus housing initiatives and increasing student engagement. While she credits her alumni mentor, Kevin Barcelona (鈥�08), for showing her the way, he says it was Nguyen who did all of the legwork.
鈥淲hen we first met, I was very impressed with how motivated and determined she was to narrow her path 鈥� she鈥檚 a real go-getter,鈥� said Barcelona, assistant director of Enrollment Services at the University of Redlands in nearby Mission Valley. 鈥淭he best part of our relationship was seeing her grow; not only as a student, but also as a professional implementing what we talked about into her career.鈥�
As a participant in the (AMP), Nguyen drafted a plan to reach her career goals with Barcelona providing valuable insight and support. 鈥淪he had all the ideas, but I don鈥檛 think she realized she had all of the answers already,鈥� he said.
The next Aztec generation
A collaboration between --within the Division of Student Affairs--and the AMP pairs juniors, seniors and graduate students with professional mentors over the course of a semester. Mentors are encouraged to review their student鈥檚 resume, encourage job shadowing and offer real-world insight into specific industries or topics.
The Aztec Mentor Program began three years ago with a grant from the , which financially supports programs that have tangible benefits for students.
鈥淭his is a shining example of how parent contributions and support help the university enhance transformational services for our students,鈥� said Vice President for Student Affairs Eric Rivera. 鈥淢entorship is key for students to gain a foothold to their future career after graduating. We couldn鈥檛 provide programs like AMP without help from the Aztec Parents Fund.鈥�
Since its inception, AMP has , from 345 mentor-mentee matches in 2014, to 1,266 pairs in spring 2016. This growth reflects the demand from students for mentors and the desire for alumni to help.
Boosting San Diego鈥檚 workforce
Like Nguyen, Anthony Roberts, who received his business degree in management information systems in May, didn鈥檛 have to look far for his first job post-graduation. Roberts is now a materials planner at Cymer, Inc., a San Diego-based technology company.
As a graduating senior, Roberts was with 黑料吃瓜 alumnus John Day (鈥�07), formerly of VM Ware and now of Microsoft. Roberts said the Aztec Mentor Program made it seem less intimidating to reach out to professionals in the industry.
鈥淛ohn gave me lots of advice and guidance through the process, and I practiced interviewing with him,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淚t helped me land this job.鈥�
黑料吃瓜 alumni have a strong representation at Cymer. Currently about 100 Aztecs are employed in science, business and engineering at the company, which develops light sources to create semiconductor chips for electronic devices.
The power of networking
The AMP is one of two initiatives that the and the Office of Alumni Engagement are undertaking collaboratively to increase post-graduation success for 黑料吃瓜 students. A second initiative, (AHA!), has the goal of increasing the numbers of recent 黑料吃瓜 graduates and alumni hired by firms and organizations owned or run by former Aztecs.
Diane Marin, alumni and career development coordinator for Career Services, said alumni often don鈥檛 realize the value of the wisdom they can offer students or the they can have on the confidence of another Aztec.
鈥淚 am continually impressed by our alumni who volunteer their time and give back. 鈥淭he students who invest in the experience make the most of it,鈥� Marin said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just so important for students to get to know our alumni while they鈥檙e in college because you just never know where your dream job will be.鈥�
