BHP is now in its third year of a new alumni/student mentoring program which connects sophomores and juniors in the program with alumni who have been in their shoes and want to give back to the next generation of BHP students. We have had great participation from both students and alumni and encourage any alumni of the program to sign up here by this Friday if you want to be matched with a student this year.
*Note that the student registration for the program is now closed
BHP Junior Sayli Khadilkar was paired up with Class of 2009 alumna Maggie Wallace last year. Sayli said the experience proved to her that one of her favorite things about BHP – the supportive, ‘pay-it-forward’ culture – carries on even beyond graduation. The two have never met in person, but have had a productive mentoring relationship through phone calls and emails.
Sayli signed up for the Alumni Mentor Network because she knew it would be a great opportunity to get to know a BHP alum. And she hoped to gain insight and advice that would help her through the rest of my time at UT and with her future career goals.
For Maggie, she wanted to pay it forward, saying that she received a lot of guidance from both older students in the program and BHP Alumni, and that those mentors played a critical role in helping her figure out how to spend her time at school and what to do after graduation.
Students are matched with mentors based on their majors, career path, and other interests. Sayli and Maggie definitely clicked and found their common interests. “We learned that we were in the same study abroad program in Paris and that we both love many of the same restaurants in Austin,” said Maggie. “It has been wonderful to develop a personal relationship with Sayli”
“I was very surprised by how real my mentor was with me,” said Sayli. “I asked my mentor anything from interview tips to study abroad travel advice, and felt completely comfortable asking seemingly silly questions. I loved how candid our conversations were, and really appreciated that my mentor was always willing to help me.”
Maggie is a strong advocate for the program. “I definitely recommend the Alumni Mentor Program to other BHP alumni. Not only is it a way to give back to the BHP community, but it’s a lot of fun to relive what it was like when I was going through it years ago. I believe that mentoring is the best way to use one’s own experiences, both successes and failures, to help shorten the learning curve for others.” She says it is most important to her that Sayli knows she is there to support her and listen to her, not only to give her advice. “I want to be available to help here navigate stressful times and make the decisions that really count.”
Sayli is grateful for this constant support from her mentor. “Participating in this program has made me realize how lucky we are to have a strong alumni network and how important it is to continue to give back to the program even beyond graduation,” she said. “The Alumni Mentor Network has been a really valuable experience for me, and I can’t wait to be a mentor in the network after I graduate.”