|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
As a freshman engineering student, Alex Halevi knew what chemical and biological engineering looked like in the classroom. How her education would translate to life in industry, however, wasn't quite clear. "It's hard when you're in school, when you're so isolated from the real world, to get a realistic idea of what's going on in industry," says Halevi, now a junior in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU-Boulder. Halevi wanted to talk with a female professional about the value of a doctorate degree and about work-life balance as an upper-level manager, but she didn't know any women in industry. That's when the Women in Engineering Program (WIEP) introduced her to its fastest-growing mentoring resource: MentorNet. "MentorNet has proven to be a great resource for our students," says WIEP Director Beverly Louie. "This e-mail mentoring program connects CU students with industry professionals in their field for an eight-month, one-on-one relationship." Since the WIEP began hosting MentorNet's e-mentoring program at CU in 1999, the number of students taking advantage of this online resource has grown from a handful to more than 80 mentees for the 2005–06 school year. MentorNet's resources are available at no cost to all male and female undergraduate and graduate students pursuing engineering, math, science, or technology degrees. With hectic schedules and limited time, student participants say they appreciate the convenience of the e-mail-based relationship with their mentors. "Most of my e-mails were sent at 10:00 at night or 6:00 in the morning," says Halevi, who has benefited from the advice of two professional mentors and is considering signing up for a third year of MentorNet. "It's a fantastic resource and a great way to do some networking," she says, adding that her MentorNet experience has been a source of inspiration that has allowed her to picture herself in her mentors' shoes and has helped her to make decisions about her future career. Professionals who are interested in becoming mentors to students are encouraged to visit www.MentorNet.net to join the MentorNet Community. For more information, visit http://engineering.colorado.edu/WIEP |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
