To help BYU–Hawaii students fulfill the university’s mission in building leaders around the world, the Alumni Association Office is ready to help students network with over 400 alumni mentors worldwide through the Professional Mentorship Program.
“Alumni get involved by helping us recruit students and by becoming mentors to students to help them find their desired job,” said Corbin Thomander, alumni relations manager of BYU–Hawaii. “The most beneficial aspect of this program is students get the chance to network with someone who works in the desired field and location the student hopes to enter when they graduate. The mentor program has been really successful and a great way to network.”
Jarvis Yau, a senior and business major from Hong Kong, said, “I told the Alumni Office I planned to go to law school and they connected me with Jerry, who’s an attorney in the Bay Area. He gave me advice regarding what I should consider before I launch myself into the legal field. He also gave me invaluable opinions on choosing a law school to attend and the differences between studying in the U.S. and in Hong Kong. Now my application cycle is over and I have been accepted to law school. Jerry has been great help to me during the entire process.”
The mentorship program does not guarantee a job offer, but students are getting hired as a result of the program. “It is exciting to see the number of students that are actually getting job offers,” said Thomander. “We have over 100 students participating so far and many of them have already received job offers.”
Students can apply at alumni.byuh.edu to get matched with a mentor.
To join the mentor network, simply log on to LinkedIn, search for the "BYU-Hawaii Business Professionals and Mentors Network" group, and request to join. Once your request has been accepted, you will be included as a mentor candidate to be matched with a student.