K-State’s Executive Mentor Program levels up students’ professional growth
It’s not about what you know, but who you know. And one of the most relevant tools for students tackling post-graduation life is the ability to network and form connections.
To help students build these essential skills, K-State’s College of Business Administration formed the Executive Mentor Program. Thirteen years later, the program is still running strong, with the 2024 Mentor and Mentee of the Year awards being presented during the college’s Corporate Partner Reception.
The program builds professional mentoring relationships among students and alumni/friends of the College of Business. Mentors and students are paired for six months and asked to meet monthly. Afterward, students finish with a deeper understanding of how to form professional connections, receive feedback on career skills and set realistic goals.
Max Roberts, a junior in finance, nominated his mentor, Darin Mainquist, director of real estate corporate banking for BMO Capital Markets and the 2024 Mentor of the Year, for many of these reasons.
“Mr. Mainquist has really worked with me to reach a potential career path that would never have been possible without him. He has absolutely excelled in his role as a mentor,” Roberts said. “The opportunity to fly to New York and get to know him was an incredible experience. He is someone that I will look to as a mentor far beyond the Executive Mentor Program.”
While mentees are in the learning role in most relationships, some mentors feel they also learn from the students they’re paired with. Ryan Seematter, IT auditor lead at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, says that Morgan Porter, senior in marketing and the 2024 Mentee of the Year, has helped him grow exponentially as a mentor.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing servant leadership through the eyes of my executive mentee, Morgan Porter,” Seematter said. “Morgan immediately displayed empathy and emotional intelligence during our first conversation, and I could tell she truly cared about others. Morgan is a one-of-a-kind student and someone who brings out the best in others.”
Learn more about the program
https://cba.k-state.edu/alumni-partners/executive-mentor/
Written By: Abbigail Marshall
Curated From: https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/2024-10/KState-recognizes-business-mentors-and-mentees-of-the-year.html
