SLPKC Graduate Student Mentoring Program: The Mentee Experience

The 2017 NASPA Annual Conference was my first time attending a NASPA conference. I was a little overwhelmed attending my first NASPA Conference so I signed up for the SLPKC Mentoring program. The great thing about the SLPKC Mentoring Program was, as a grad student at the time, I was able to learn from someone who was working in the functional area I was interested in.

My Mentor and I met several times throughout the conference and he was able to provide some great time to reflect on what I had learned so far throughout the conference and how I could apply that when I got back to my own campus.  The best part of being matched with a mentor through SLPKC was it made the huge NASPA Annual Conference seem a little bit smaller. My mentor invited me to attend receptions with him, helped me choose sessions that would be helpful, and introduced me to other people at the conference. This whole experience really helped me to feel more comfortable at the conference.

One of the main things I was looking to get out of having a mentor at NASPA was to help me feel more confident when meeting new people. Personally, I struggle with finding ways to connect with new people, especially in a conference setting. Being that this was my first NASPA Annual Conference, I was worried about connecting with people in such a short amount of time. My SLPKC mentor made this way easier. He was so personable and friendly and immediately made me feel comfortable. If I hadn’t had him as a mentor I don’t know that I would have felt confident approaching people at the conference.

My mentoring experience did not stop after the conference ended. I stayed in touch with my mentor and he helped me throughout my job search. I know that he is there if I need anything or just to catch up when we both have time. The SLPKC Mentoring program has definitely been helpful to my Student Affairs career!

Sign up to participate in the 2018 NASAP Annual Conference SLPKC Graduate Mentoring Program.