Niagara University’s offices of Career Services, Alumni Engagement, and its College of Business Administration are teaming up to launch a program in January intended to facilitate mentorship relationships between current students and alumni and friends.

Mentors will work with mentees to identify career and life goals by sharing experiences, offering encouragement, and providing an opportunity for the students to understand how business professionals have developed in their own careers. 

“Mentoring NU” will help students gain the valuable business skills and knowledge needed for successful careers, according to the Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., president of Niagara University.

“More and more of today’s employers demand that job candidates – even new college graduates – possess the skills and hands-on experience that will propel them to hit the ground running,” noted Father Maher. “Fortunately for our students, NU alumni demonstrate their gratitude for the transformative experiences they had on our campus by volunteering to take current Purple Eagles under their wing as part of a mentor-mentee relationship.”

Students and mentors will complete an initial mentorship questionnaire to identify the specific expectations for the arrangement. Each person will also complete a preliminary “contract” that outlines how, when, where, and how often they will communicate.

“Our mentors have volunteered to play an active role in advising students about particular companies, industries, and careers, and they are also very willing to assist with networking and other related job-searching activities,” said Stephanie Morris, director of Career Services. “We are going to be really intentional about matching students with mentors based on the students’ current interests and professional aspirations.”

To reinforce the real-word feel of the program, should a student decide to opt out of the program, he/she must do so through a well-written business communication to the mentor and the university’s mentorship coordinator.

“Teaching students about the soft skills in a professional relationship is something our office takes seriously,” added Morris. “We know that Niagara students will receive the academic and co-curricular experiences required to secure a job or graduate school placement after graduation, but we also know that possessing interviewing acumen, communicating effectively, and being able to solve problems are equally as important in the modern workplace.”

Individuals interested in mentoring a Niagara University business student are invited to contact Maureen Rizzo, internship coordinator, at 716.286.8538 or mrizzo@niagara.edu.

Niagara University’s Office of Career Services maintains a 97% job and graduate school placement rate within six months of graduation. Its innovative Pathways program is holistic, four-step approach to career and professional development that builds confidence through experiential learning, resume preparation, mock interviewing, internship placement, and more.

The university’s College of Business Administration is among the less than 5% of the world’s business schools that hold accreditation from AACSB International. The college offers undergraduate majors in accounting, economics, finance, management, and marketing, along with an MBA (in eight concentrations) and an M.S. in finance.