“I decided to become a mentor because it was such a fun and meaningful experience,” said Garrett Sondgeroth, transportation engineer at Walmart. “Now I’m able to share some of the things I learned from my mentor and my college experiences and hopefully help others.”

Being an engineering student can sometimes feel daunting, as if nobody knows the challenges you’re facing. But alumni have been there, and many are willing to be a support system for current students.

“This program made me realize the importance of having a mentor,” said Jennifer Ascher, systems engineer at Yoplait. “It helped me so much in college that I’ve now sought out mentors at work.”

Jennifer Ascher and her mentor, Beth Hess.

The Purdue ME alumni mentorship program is fairly new, beginning in the Fall of 2021. Stephanie Winder, Program Coordinator, helped get the program started. “We provide the students a list of our alumni mentors, and based on the alumni's LinkedIn profiles, students can choose who might be their best match,” she said. “After we introduce the mentor/mentee pairs and share a few guidelines, it’s really up to them to determine how they proceed from there.”

The only requirement of the program is to meet at least one hour per month; each mentor-mentee is allowed to pursue what works best for them, be it video calls, in-person meetings or phone calls.  

“All of my relationships have been very casual,” said Ascher. “I understand they have busy schedules. I met once a month with one of my mentees, and once a week with another. Sometimes I’d call her on my hour drive home or she would call while she was cooking dinner. But it’s totally up to you, if you’d rather it be more ‘professional’ you can totally do that!”

A common misconception is that you must discuss class work or engineering specific things but that’s not the case. It is completely up to the mentee and mentor what they want to discuss. It’s an opportunity to explore personal goals, share experiences, ask for advice or simply connect with a trusted companion.

Garrett Sondgeroth at his first job after graduation.

“When I was a mentee I set the agenda, so sometimes we talked about applying to grad school, and other times it was about looking for jobs or internships,” said Sondgeroth. “However, my mentor would sometimes offer ideas too. We held mock interviews, talked about goals, and even took a personality test!”

“A lot of the time we just talk about our days,” said Ascher. “A lot of my mentees want to know what a day in the life of an engineer looks like.”

There are even some mentors who have taken non-traditional routes in their careers and can offer unique perspectives. One mentor, Fred Elbert, started his own business called Elbert Field Engineering Solutions and has valuable insight on what it takes to start and run a business. Another mentor, Michael Lindinger, Attorney at Mayer Brown, can provide advice on what classes to take and extracurriculars to participate in if you are wanting a career in engineering law. And of course, Garrett and Jennifer are fresh out of college and can offer more recent perspectives on finding internships and jobs in the current job market.

“I still meet with my previous mentors,” said Sondgeroth. “There’s a possibility that I’ll have lifelong friendships with my mentees too.”

“I mentored students their sophomore year and then kept in contact with them the rest of their time in college,” said Ascher. “It’s been really special to see them grow, achieve incredible things, and now graduate.”

This program has had profound impacts on so many students, following them after graduation and into the start of their careers. It’s also served as a way for mechanical engineering alumni to give back to their alma mater. A full circle way to spread the wisdom from generation to generation. Regardless of your experience, career path, personality, or schedule there is a mentor for you.

“Why would you not join?” said Ascher. “At least try it for one semester! If you hate it, you don’t have to do it again. But if you love it, then great! The earlier you join, the more people you get to meet and learn from. We do this because we want to help you.”

“I think this program is one of the most valuable resources students have,” said Sondgeroth. “Getting to talk with someone in industry is priceless, because being a student is so much different than being in the workforce.”

Interested in joining the Purdue ME alumni mentorship program? Applications are open right now! Deadline is November 10!

Writer: Julia Davis, juliadavis@purdue.edu