Ji’s experience is just one story among dozens within the NYIT Alumni Mentor Program, which personally matches students with top professionals based on common interests and career skills. The program, relaunched in 2010, is already receiving rave reviews from student and alumni participants. In March, it won second place for best practices in career development from the Metropolitan New York College Career Planning Officer’s Association (MNYCCPOA) Alva C. Cooper Awards.

The program’s chief coordinators are NYIT Office of Career Services Dean John Hyde (above right) and Assistant Director Leigh Mascianica (above left), working in conjunction with NYIT’s Office of Alumni Relations.

“We’ve always felt this is the best way for students to learn about their careers,” says Hyde. “And the alumni feel like they are giving back.”

During the mentorship, which can last an entire semester or longer, students and alumni check in monthly with the Office of Career Services to provide updates on their progress.

“We ask about the things they’ve learned and the tasks they’ve been asked to complete,” says Mascianica, who oversaw the revamping of the new alumni mentor program, which was originally launched in 2007. Among her priorities for this iteration were developing a hands-on, individual matching process, specific training materials to assist students with professional etiquette and mentor interactions, and 24/7 support from the Office of Career Services throughout the entire mentoring process.

Communication among students, alumni participants—who can be found in Germany, Egypt, and Korea as well as the United States—and the Office of Career Services is handled through email, phone calls, Skype, and social media sites such as Facebook. On the popular career networking site LinkedIn, Hyde and Mascianica have created a special section for NYIT students enrolled in the mentor program that includes articles on making the most of their alumni relationships as well as a monthly e-newsletter.

“People share their own personal stories and strategies that have proven successful,” says Hyde. “We want to continue to grow the mentor program, especially at our global campuses.”

For Hyde, the best part of the NYIT Alumni Mentor Program is that it puts a human face on a career. “There isn’t any better way for students to discover what it’s all about.” 

Mascianica agrees. “It’s an opportunity for NYIT students to be paired with someone who has shared connections, backgrounds, interests, and experiences. It is the foundation of a lifelong professional relationship.”

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