Mentorship is a powerful, relationship-driven process in which experienced individuals share guidance, insights, and support with those progressing through earlier stages of their journey. The eGOLD Alumni Mentorship Program connects current students with graduates from the last decade who have recently navigated the same academic courses, co-curricular opportunities, and early career decisions. These connections enable students to learn from their lived experiences: what worked, what didn’t, and how to apply those lessons to their own journey.

The eGOLD Alumni Mentorship Program is intended and designed to provide benefits to both mentors and mentees.

For mentees (undergraduate students), mentorship offers:

• Insights from graduates’ experiences, successes, and lessons learned.
• Guidance on navigating coursework, co-curricular activities, internships, and early career decisions.
• Support in developing leadership, professional skills, and confidence for post-graduation life.
• Connections to professionals who understand the current landscape of engineering careers.

For mentors (recent graduates), mentorship provides:

• An opportunity to reflect on and articulate lessons learned.
• A chance to give back to the next generation of Iowa engineers.
• Meaningful connections with rising professionals.
• Development of leadership, coaching, and communication skills.
• Insight into current student experiences and trends in engineering education.

To support success in the program, the following guidelines have been created:

Mentees and mentors should:

• Meet regularly. Plan to connect for about one hour each month during the mentorship period.
• Choose a communication method. Video calls or in-person meetings (when possible) are preferred.
• Set shared goals. Discuss what each person wants to accomplish from the mentorship experience.
• Plan ahead. Schedule monthly meetings in advance to maintain consistency.
• Keep a record. Take brief notes after each meeting so that key insights and discussions points can be revisited in the future.

Interested in the eGOLD Alumni Mentorship Program? Please contact Justine Hines, Assistant Director of Leadership and Career Services (justine-hines@uiowa.edu).