ALUMNI SUPPORT
Alumni Connections Program draws strong support
Participants enjoy opportunity to help students and find personal benefits, too It’s one thing to say Penn State has a dedicated and powerful alumni network, but it’s even more compelling and impressive to watch those alumni in action. More than 275 alumni have volunteered in the past yearplus to mentor students in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications as part of a program that launched in April 2020. The virtual mentoring effort, with connections by email, phone or Zoom, has found overwhelming (and overwhelmingly positive) results and success. “For me, it’s relatively low ALUMNI impact and it’s humbling to be part of it. I don’t think CONNECTIONS I’m especially good at it, PROGRAM but then again the folks who I consider my biggest mentors were people who alumni would listen and share their time with me,” says Scott Snipkie, an attorney and compliance consultant in students Ephrata, Pennsylvania, who earned his journalism degree in 2008. He subsequently earned his master’s and J.D. at the University of Missouri, and always remained close to his mentors, especially those at Penn State. “John Sanchez was my ethics professor and thesis adviser. John Curley was excellent in the newsroom management class, and Mike Poorman was always so accessible and helpful,” Snipkie said. Poorman, the Bellisario College’s director of alumni relations, pairs mentors and mentees based on career interests, geography or personal information. The program was conceived and brought to life by Poorman, Associate Dean Bob Martin, Director of Development Jose Lugaro and administrative assistant Amanda Brown.
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The Alumni Connections Program has mentors on campus and as far away as London and Sweden. They all share a desire to give back and support students. “It’s been a really nice experience,” said Kara Corridan, manager of creative and content for Prudential Financial, who earned her journalism degree in 1993. She was paired with a junior, just back from studying abroad in Spain. As they stayed in touch through the year, Corridan offered advice about general topics and then specifics of a job search. Corridan’s daughter, a junior in high school, got to meet the student as well. “Being able to connect on a personal and professional level is really important,” Corridan said. “Whenever we talked we always opened with a state of the union, not all business. How’s your family? My family? It’s important for a mentor to put themselves in the shoes of the mentee, just so you’re meeting them where they are — and then maybe push a little bit, too.” The program has been so impactful for Corridan that she signed up as a mentee for a program offered by her company. Alumna Amanda Cramer, who earned her film-video degree in 2015, and leads curriculum and learning for 2U Studios in Arlington, Virginia, said the mentoring program provides a chance for her to do what others did for her. And, as one of just a handful of film-video alumni in the program, she has been connected with several mentees. “I know the power of having a mentor. Having someone as a sounding board and not in an official capacity is valuable,” Cramer said. “Ideally it’s somebody who will give it to you straight and not beat around the bush. For me, it’s not telling the mentees what to do but sharing options and challenging them to do some work as well.” The program has attracted two dozen World Campus students and members of the Class of 2025, too.
WE NEED YOU Are you a Bellisario College alumnus wanting to give back to current students? We want you to join us as a mentor through the Bellisario College Connections effort. For more information visit: bellisario.psu.edu/alumni/alumni-connections 44
2020-21 ANNUAL REPORT
