Baskin Engineering Mentor Network: Connecting students to alumni

The Mentor Collective Program

The Baskin Engineering Mentor Network helps students navigate their paths to careers by linking 3rd and 4th year students with alumni. Students are paired with an alum who understands their experience and is invested in their success — a person ready to listen, inspire, help navigate challenges, and recognize opportunities.

Students will learn what to expect in their final years of school, how to approach challenges, gain career advice, and other valuable insights. Mentors will find reward in paying it forward, and strengthen their leadership and professional skills. Mentor Collective's online platform provides training and resources for mentors and makes it easy for mentors and mentees to connect.

First and second year students: UCSC offers a peer mentoring program, also using the Mentor Collective platform. Explore the UCSC Slug Mentor Network.

How it Works

Students will be matched with an alum based on common interests, shared experiences, academics, and professional aspirations. To get started, students and mentors register and complete an online survey to describe their interests and experiences. Once you are matched with your mentee(s), you both decide how and how often you want to connect.

What mentors and students discuss:

  • Meeting new people and making lifelong connections with peers, faculty, and staff
  • Getting involved on campus
  • Adjusting to university-level academic expectations
  • Developing a plan for academic, social, and career success
  • Professional options linked to your areas of interest and studies
  • Balancing the demands of a challenging program with personal responsibilities and socializing
  • Developing and cultivating professional contacts

Your mentor will:

  • Help guide you in your transition from college to career 
  • Have similar interests, hobbies, and experiences as you
  • Meet or video chat with you on a regular basis
  • Guide you in discovering your career path
  • Encourage you to set goals
Program Expectations

Mentors and mentees are encouraged to communicate at least 2–4 times per month, although pairs can communicate more or less frequently depending on individual preferences. Pairs can communicate in person, via text, Zoom, Slack, and/or phone. (All participants are given anonymous phone numbers for communication).
 

Become a Mentor

Register to become a 2023–24 mentor.

Find a Mentor

Find a mentor for 2023–24.

UCSC Baskin Mentor Collective Testimonial

"I'm really excited to have someone there for me. It's nice knowing that I'm not completely alone and hopefully can be someone I can reach out to if I'm having a hard time in school or other activities."

"[My mentor] helped me answer the question of how to form strong relationships with my professors by giving me an actionable strategy to having strong purposeful visits to their office hours."

"I'm volunteering to mentor because I've been fortunate enough to have mentors who guided me throughout my academic and professional careers & I feel like I am finally able to give back."