UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A mentor-mentee relationship can promote empowerment and inclusion in any environment. The Alumni-Student Mentoring Program in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) matches IST graduates with current students to help them gain insights into their post-graduation journey. And for one IST student participant, the program has provided than mentorship.
“Through the Alumni-Student Mentoring Program, alumni bring their background as former IST students and share how they navigated college and transitioned into the business world,” said Kim Woodward, alumni relations and stewardship coordinator for the college. “The program is growing rapidly, with hundreds of students and alumni expressing interest.”
Mentee Janelly Rossi is a third-year student majoring in enterprise technology integration in the College of IST and minoring in entrepreneurship and innovation in the Smeal College of Business. She said she is confident about her academic journey, but when she first arrived at Penn State, she wasn’t quite sure how to fit in.
“I’m a first-generation student, I’m female and I’m Hispanic, so I felt like I was very much a minority when I got here,” she said. “I wanted to find a sense of community, especially since my parents didn’t go to college and I don’t have any older siblings. I wanted to meet someone who could provide guidance for my college experience, since I had no idea what I was getting into.”
She learned about the Alumni Mentorship Program through IST’s student newsletter and the Women in IST Club. And she found more than a mentor: She found an “adviser, a career counselor and a sister.”
Rossi was matched with Diana Long, who earned a bachelor’s degree in information sciences and technology in 2004 and a master’s degree in information sciences in 2008.
Long, like her mentee, said she felt she had little in common with her IST classmates. IST opened its doors in 1999, and Long was in its second graduating class. At that time, she did not feel like a typical information technology student.
“I too came to Penn State as a first-generation Latina and the oldest in my family, so I didn’t have anyone to ask for advice,” Long said. “There weren’t many people who looked like me or came from where I was from. I was 18 and not in my usual territory and didn’t feel comfortable just introducing myself to people. It’s who I am now, but not who I was back then.”
Beyond classes, Long wasn’t involved in “anything IST” because she said she felt intimidated. Without relatable peers, she sought out sisterhood and guidance from upperclassmen in other colleges.
“I found mentorship for general life things outside IST,” she said. “But I didn’t have peers who could help me with IST-related things.”
Long carved her own path and, since graduating, has remained active in the college. She is on the IST Alumni Society Board, which helps to recruit new students, create and sustain scholarships and financial awards and promote internships and career opportunities. From this vantage point, Long has seen positive changes in the college’s student demographics. The Alumni Mentoring Program helps bridge the gaps that still exist.
“Representation matters in making IST seem more approachable,” she said. “I was thrilled to match with Janelly because I knew what she was experiencing while many of her peers and professors did not.”
Long started the mentorship with questions like "Who are you?", "What do you need help with?", "And how can I help?" Rossi’s questions ranged from "How can I get that internship?" to "What are the different opportunities out there?" They now have what Long describes as an “organic relationship.”
“I find myself excited to tell Janelly about career changes I’ve made to let her know what’s possible,” Long said. “I want her to understand that she can do whatever she wants — and I can’t wait for our future discussions about salary negotiations and retirement planning.”
Rossi agreed that mentorship is more than career insight.
“Diana helped me with my resume, interviewing and honing my skills,” she said. “But we’ve also built a meaningful relationship that just feels very natural and more conversational.”
Long would have welcomed a mentorship program when she was a student, she said, which is why she encourages fellow alumni to mentor.
“Find another ‘you’ to help,” she said. “There’s great value in a Penn State education, but the people who come through our school — who want to stay involved and help students succeed — I think that’s our secret sauce.”
Rossi has learned a lot from her mentor.
“Diana is exactly the sort of mentor I’d hoped to find and is like an older sister to me,” she said. “It’s been inspiring to see how she navigated her experience and I feel like I can follow in her footsteps and create a successful future.”
For more information, visit the IST Alumni-Student Mentoring Program website.