During the past few months, I have had the opportunity to speak with students, new graduates and alumni about a whole host of issues ranging from football to the new president to our beautiful new Erickson Alumni Center.

But one thing that I keep hearing from many of you is the need for more mentoring and networking opportunities among alumni and students. And this is not something new. In previous surveys that we’ve done, alumni often responded that one way they feel they can give back is by mentoring students, as well as alumni who are looking for a friendly Mountaineer to bounce ideas off of.

We have been working with the WVU Career Services Center to develop a networking program that will give our alumni what they want and need, while also providing students with a list of alumni who are willing to share their expertise and guidance. This partnership has led to the activation of a mentoring/networking program in “MountaineerTRAK” through Career Services.

I logged on and signed up for my networking account through MountaineerTRAK this week, and you should too. All you have to do is go to: http://www.myinterfase.com/wvu/mentor/ and select the “Click here to register” button. You will fill out the form and answer a few questions (it took less than 10 minutes).

What is great about this program is that you design it for you. You set the parameters. If you can only offer to help one student, then you can note that on the form. You also can pick how you want to communicate (via e-mail, phone, etc.) and how often you want to communicate with a student. It really seems to be flexible, and you dont’ have to make a big time commitment. We just want it to be a meaningful commitment.

But for this networking/mentoring program to be successful, we need your help. We want to build a database of Mountaineers so that when an interested student or alumnus/a signs on to find a mentor, he/she will find a whole host of alumni who are interested in helping them succeed. Additionally, you might connect with a fellow graduate who is looking to make a career change or moving to your area, and just needs some friendly advice. This is what MountaineerTRAK is all about – connecting our graduates and students, no matter where they may live..

The support and sense of community of the WVU family is one of the things that make me most proud. This is a wonderful opportunity to give back to your alma mater. I hope you will carve out a little time to help a fellow Mountaineer by signing up for this wonderful networking/mentoring program.

I know many of you are already connecting with graduates and students. We would love to hear your stories. Please feel free to post them or e-mail them to us at alumni@mail.wvu.edu!

Let’s Go Mountaineers!

Steve
President & CEO, WVU Alumni Association