The LEAD Industrial Mentor Program launched in Spring 2021 as a component of the LEAD Learning Community, a mentor-based structured program to support the academic, professional, and social success and retention of undergraduate engineering scholars. LEAD alumni were selected to serve as professional mentors to upperclass LEAD program peer mentors and their team of first-year/transfer LEAD scholars. The inaugural cohort of industrial mentors consisted of 8 engineering alumni from organizations across the country. Today, the program continues to connect engineering alumni with undergraduate scholars across all disciplines. Because we believe that if you can see it, you can be it!
Role of Industrial Mentors
The primary responsibilities of the industrial mentor are to provide scholars with insight and exposure to industry and help them understand industry expectations. This opportunity enables the scholars to see and experience processes first-hand and helps them tie their classroom knowledge to the real world, thus bridging the gap between perception and reality, further solidifying their engineering identity.
Throughout the semester, industrial mentors meet monthly with an assigned upperclass peer mentor and a team of 3-5 scholars. During these meetings, industrial mentors share their educational and career experience, answer any academic and career preparation questions/concerns the students may have, provide professional guidance through resume review and interview preparation, share insight into their organization, and any other information deemed necessary in supporting the success of our scholars.
Get Involved!
Are you a LEAD alumnus and want to give back to the program and the College of Engineering? Contact Dr. Ancar (lancar@iastate.edu) to learn about the multitude of opportunities that exist to get engaged with aspiring diverse engineers.