Mentoring three students who were not planning on attending law
school was a new experience, he said. His first thought about Buell was:
“Oh, my goodness, how am I going to be able to help this kid who’s
studying international relations and Islamic studies?”
But as it turned out, Buell was interested in a possible career with
the FBI, and Gaul had a contact who offered her some advice. With Buell
and with his other mentees, both communications majors, he also was able
to put them in touch with useful resources, review their resumes with
them and help them practice or refine their job-interview skills.
Participants describe the program as helpful and confidence-boosting for students and highly rewarding for mentors.
“Every mentor has a different relationship with their mentee,
depending on what works for them,” Riabov said. “But they all really
feel like they’re making a difference. … For students, it’s great that
they have online resources to get information about careers, but they
still are going to have to go out and talk to people. That’s where a
one-on-one relationship with a working adult can help them prepare.”
Her mentee, Emily Miles, who is graduating this year with a degree in
communication, agreed with Riabov’s assessment of the program’s
success. Both said they were amazed at how much they had in common in
terms of professional interests, hobbies and personality. Because of the
pandemic, they met remotely, often with twice-weekly phone calls, and
both say they formed a close relationship.
“I signed up for the program because I thought it would be helpful to
have my own individual resource, someone I could ask questions and get
advice from, and Darelle has been great,” Miles said, adding that Riabov
offered her a wealth of career-planning tips. “The connection we forged
has been really special.”
Mentors in the program encourage other alumni to get involved, saying
that almost everyone has more to offer a student than they might
realize.
“You don’t have to have some special, high-level expertise to be a
mentor,” said Jim Grimes, who graduated from UD with majors in criminal
justice and economics in 1980 and is now retired from the University
Police Department. He has mentored a student with an interest in
criminology, not directly in law enforcement, and he said many of their
interactions have involved her bouncing ideas off him and looking for
feedback. He’s also been able to direct her to resources with which he’s
familiar.
“Just based on your life experiences, you have knowledge to share,”
Grimes said. “Helping students doesn’t require specialized knowledge or a
great deal of time, but it’s very rewarding. I think the mentors learn
something too.”
With pandemic restrictions easing, future mentoring might happen in
person more often, but the program expects remote interactions to
continue to play an important role. A Zoom or telephone call is easier
to fit into both mentors’ and mentees’ busy schedules, and it allows
alumni who live far away to be involved.
“What was remarkable to me was how many alumni stepped up to serve as
mentors,” Pelesko said. “Some who aren’t local have been wanting to
connect with us, and this has given them the opportunity to contribute
in a really meaningful way.”
Article by Ann Manser; photos by Wenbo Fan and courtesy of Emily Miles and Kaye Buell
Published May 27, 2021