Major: International Politics and Global and International Studies
Minor: Business
Hometown: Belleville, NJ

How did you learn about this opportunity?

I found out about this mentorship through the online Liberal Arts Newswire. Also, I received an email about this program from Heather Baruch-Bueter. After learning about the benefits and opportunities I was immediately interested.

Tell us a little bit about your experience.

My experience in the Alumni Mentorship Program has been beneficial in more ways than one. The support I have been receiving for both my resume and cover letter have been endless. I am finally confident with these papers and am ready to turn them in to an internship position. My mentor provides me with her opinions during our phone calls to help boost my experience and showcase my skills. Having a mentor who listens to me and supports my decisions has been tremendous.

How did this experience impact you academically?

Academically this experience has helped me open more doors. With my upgraded resume and cover letter I am confident that I can qualify for more opportunities. These opportunities include internships both domestically and internationally and study abroad. Also, while talking to my mentor I have been able to view the classes at Penn State in a new light. Penn State offers courses beyond a bachelors degree. This means that while a student graduates with a bachelor's from Penn State, they have experience equivalent to Master's courses from other universities.

Having a mentor allowed me to ask questions about what I should be doing in my time at Penn State to reach the career of my choosing.

What are your career goals and plans?  How did this experience impact them?

After graduation I have two paths in mind. The first path is to go straight to graduate school, whether that be at Penn State or somewhere else. The second path would take me to a career either in government or non-government for a few years before returning to graduate school. I am still not sure which area I would like to go into, but my mentor has helped me realize that my skills can be translated to either one.

Would you recommend this experience to other Liberal Arts students?

Absolutely! This experience helped me network with a professional in the career I want post-graduation. Also, having a mentor allowed me to ask questions about what I should be doing in my time at Penn State to reach the career of my choosing.

For more information on the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program, visit our website.