Hello everybody!
Firstly, we would like to extend a huge welcome and thank you for joining our club! Hopefully we can be the first steps into growing your professional future. If you aren’t already joined, we have a discord! The invite link is below, feel free to introduce yourself in the introductions tab:
Additionally, if you haven’t registered yet for Wicys, you can below. You may register for the student fee, and use your UMBC email. The link to do so is here:
https://membercommunity.wicys.org/general/register_member_type.asp
Once you register, you have the opportunity to sign up for a mentor, so be sure to do so! Here’s the application link, it closes September 15.
https://www.wicys.org/initiatives/mentorship/
We plan to have meetings Fridays at 1pm, starting 9/24 (two weeks from now). They will be online, with a few events being held in person. We will let you know if an event is in person or not.
That’s all, and once again, thanks for joining! Let’s make it a great year!
Every student deserves a champion, and every college graduate can be one with iMentor
iMentor is teaming up with Baltimore City Public Schools to match first-generation high school students with college-educated mentors who help them navigate the journey to and through college and other post-secondary career pathways. iMentor believes that every student deserves a champion and is looking for mentors like you. We make it easy for busy professionals to mentor by providing a guided playbook, time-efficient communication resources, and staff support along the way.
Mentor Time Commitment:
Volunteers are matched with one high school student over a three-year period.
Volunteers send one weekly email to their mentee and attend one monthly, in-person pair event at their mentee’s school during the academic school year. Pair events are hosted in the evening after normal business hours.
To become a mentor, visit baltimore.imentor.org to start your mentor application, attend an upcoming new and prospective mentor Orientation or email baltimorevolunteer@imentor.org .
Please note: Mentors must have completed a 2- or 4-year college degree and be 21 years of age and older.
]]>I hope you guys all had a fantastic thanksgiving break! Now that the holiday break is over, there are only ….. THREE AND A HALF WEEKS LEFT IN THE SEMESTER??? When did that happen?! Well, I guess as the semester is closing up, now is a good time to reflect on your experiences this semester. And keeping with the theme of thankfulness, let’s talk about how you can show thanks to the employers and mentors that have helped you this semester.
First of all, why should you be thanking your mentors? The most obvious reason is that when someone does something good for you - like offer you a job/internship/research position - thanking them for it is just the right thing to do. Being thankful makes others feel good, and it makes you feel good! But from a more self-serving perspective, it also helps your chances of working with them again in the future. People always remember those who are kind to them, so if you thank your mentor for their help, they’ll probably want to hire you again! Also, taking the time to think about reasons to thank them will help you reflect on how you’ve developed through this experience. If you’re enrolled in an Intern Success Practicum course with the Career Center, you should be submitting your end-of-semester reflections by December 8th.
Here are some great ways to thank your employers and mentors:
In person is always the best option. Being able to talk face-to-face when thanking your mentor will show them how sincere you are, and will also give them a chance to thank you in return! They appreciate the work you’ve put in as much as you appreciate their guidance.
Sending a thank-you card is a good alternative if you’re shy, or don’t get a chance to do it in person. People don’t usually send physical cards anymore, so it will be a pleasant surprise for them to get a nice card in their mailbox.
If you’re not in a rush, or if you are continuing your work in the spring, be on the lookout for the Career Center’s annual Thanks for Making a Difference Campaign, which is a creative way to thank all and any kind of mentor in your life.
Personally, I’d like to send a thank you to the whole Career Center for welcoming me into the office as a new employee this semester. I have already learned so much about professional development and helping other students, and I look forward to continuing my own development here and working on new projects to give my fellow students all the opportunities they deserve. Feel free to comment on what you’re thankful for this year in the comments section below.