On the 5th of April 2024, we welcomed the pioneer group of our in-house mentorship program. With 18 members, 9 mentees and 9 mentors, we are excited to launch such a powerful program that will support our third pillar of mentorship. This program will ensure that students get guidance in our program from the word go. Our mentees are typically underclassmen navigating the internships space, college experiences as well as how to navigate their spaces at a predominantly white institution. Over the last few years since we launched the Sadie Alexander Association in 2021, the mentorship has been organically through informal conversations.
The event began with an informal conversation between attendees followed by a short brief presentation on best practices among students. Afterwards, the attendees also had an opportunity to interact with other attendees and share their motivations for joining the mentorship program.
Amara J. Jones-Myers ‘25, who signed up to be a mentor and intends to pursue a PhD in Economics mentioned that mentorship is a blessing and that she is grateful to be in a role to help others. Amara recognizes that life is about who you know and thus she is determined to see a more diverse and welcoming space in economics. When other mentees like Jamie Leslie ‘27 was asked, he mentioned that he didn’t feel that he had a community within the department and this was an opportunity to create one. For other mentors like Francina Kolluri ‘25, she recollected how SAA has supplied her with so many mentors ever since her first term at Dartmouth, and she will be able to continue the same tradition within an amazing group that has shaped so much of her time at the college.
This program also aims to create opportunities for students beyond Dartmouth and into their careers. Grace Bech ‘26, mentioned that when she started recruiting for internships, she received guidance from people like Michael Bongo ‘24, whom she is also matched with during the program. This has helped her appreciate how to navigate recruiting as herself and not compromise on any of her qualities while getting assistance from people who come from shared backgrounds like her own.
Our hopes are that this is the start of something bigger than just mentorship but a way that students will find a community that is tight-knit and that can allow them to grow beyond academics.
