Alumni Community
Alumni Directory
Check out RWU's new alumni directory! Looking to re-connect with classmates? Sign up for the Alumni Directory to start connecting with old friends today. After log-in, the Directory is accessible in the top menu bar.
Get Connected, Stay In Touch!
The goal of the Roger Williams Alumni Association to help connect alumni in meaningful ways. Alumni chapters are managed by alumni volunteers and reflect RWU’s values of education, community and service. Support and guidance to the chapters is provided by the Office of Alumni Relations to assist alumni in planning a wide variety of activities including: lectures, socials, Presidential visits and freshman send-off receptions, as well as cultural, sporting and networking events.
Don't see a chapter in your area and interested in creating one? Reach out to alumni@rwu.edu or call (401) 254-3005.
Re-connect and stay in touch using your class Facebook page or on the Roger Connection with our Alumni Directory
Need more help? Email us at alumni@rwu.edu
Make sure to update your Contact Information with the Office of Alumni Relations
Get Ready
- Refine Your Personal Brand & Online Presence
- Send Your Resume to Your Career Advisor for Review
- Get Help From The Center for Career & Professional Development (CCPD)
- Meet With Your Career Advisor
- Practice Virtual Interviewing
- Log into Big Interview
- Review Your Graduation Requirements
Get Connected
- Build Your Professional Network
- Sign-Up for The Roger Connection
- Join the RWU LinkedIn Network
- Find Job Postings, Resources and Internship Opportunities
- Log into Handshake and Create a Profile
- Get Matched with a Mentor. Watch "Take Flight" Professional Development Programming.
- Creating Your Next Step: Conversation with Career Professionals - Recruiters, Career Coaches and Alumni Talk about the Financial Crisis of 2008 and Lessons Learned.
Moderated by Heather Traber, CEO, Gainfully and features RWU alumni panelists: Matthew Swensen '13, Regional Recruiting Specialist and Investment Advisor, Prudential; Kristen Harrington '07, Founder, 813 Consultants; and Kristen Hill '15, Recruitment Manager, City Year. - The Benefits of Mentoring and How to Find the Right Match
Moderated by Amy Berkeley, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, RWU, and features alumni panelists Theresa Agonia '13, Senior Deputy Chief of Staff, City of Providence; Nibal Awad '12, Managing Director of Alumni & Giving, St. John's Prep; Willie Borkai '14, Research Project Director with Weight Control & Diabetes Research Center, Lifespan; Brian LeDuc '10, Design Strategist & Leadership Educator, Education Design Lab.
- Creating Your Next Step: Conversation with Career Professionals - Recruiters, Career Coaches and Alumni Talk about the Financial Crisis of 2008 and Lessons Learned.
Get Coached
- Stay Active with The CCPD for Help with Next Steps
- Make an Appointment with a Career Advisor to Learn More about Graduate School, Service Year Programs, or Gain Support in Your Job Search
- Participate in Industry-Specific Mentoring Sessions with Board Members/Volunteers/Alumni Through the "Take Flight" Program
- Register to be Matched with a Mentor - Mentorship is a valuable and effective development opportunity. Sign up to be matched with a trusted and experienced mentor in your indicated field of interest who will provide guidance, encouragement and support.
- Review the Mentee Guide
- Review the Mentor Guide
Summary
Hawks ‘Take Flight’ offers a unique opportunity to get matched with a mentor and is a great way to learn about your industry of interest, network with professionals and obtain guidance on your career, personal and professional goals.
Program Goals
- Provide participants with an opportunity for professional growth, access to a network, and advice/information on career paths and industries
- Cultivate relationships amongst members and stakeholders in the RWU community to facilitate career management and growth for current undergraduate seniors
Role of a Mentor
A mentor is someone that is willing to provide help and advice to a Roger Williams University Senior over a period of time with the goal of contributing to the mentee’s professional and career development.
Role of a Mentee
A mentee actively participates in a relationship with the mentor and seeks out information, knowledge and experiences that will be helpful to guide their professional and career development. A mentee is not a passive participant, but must remain active and accountable for facilitating the mentee/mentor relationship.
Benefits for the Mentee
Mentorship is a personal developmental relationship that has many benefits for both participants. As a mentee, you will be able to:
- Gain access to real-world advice, guidance and support
- Grow your confidence
- Build your knowledge-base and credibility
- Develop your network and support system
- Get an experienced opinion
Mentee Expectations
As a mentee, I agree that I will communicate and present myself professionally, while being courteous/respectful in my interactions (in person, in writing, by phone, video chat or email) and will
- Manage/monitor my digital identity content (including text, voice and picture). This includes ensuring that my voicemail messages and e-mail address are professional and make reasonable efforts to remove material professionals may deem inappropriate or unprofessional.
- Acknowledge calls, emails and invitations, and respond appropriately in a timely manner (within 24-48 hours).
- Attend all scheduled one-on-one interactions with other participants. I will provide two business days’ notice for any cancellation, if possible.
Preparing to be a Mentee
- Self-Reflect – review your strengths and interests, understand your current goals, and be prepared to articulate what you are hoping to gain out of the mentor/mentee relationship.
- Update Your Materials – update your online presence, e.g. LinkedIn profile, and your resume, so your mentor can learn more about you.
- Create a Plan – create goals for the relationship that you can share with your mentor and refine together, then discuss how frequently you would like to meet with your mentor, how long each meeting will last, and what modality will be used, e.g. Zoom, Skype, Phone, etc.
- Determine Next Steps – craft a list of topics that you are interested in discussing with your mentor before or at the beginning of each meeting. As a mentee, you are responsible for moving the discussion forward - the role of the mentor is to provide advice and guidance and not to solve your problems or provide answers. After each meeting, develop action steps and be prepared to follow-up on your mentor’s suggestions and guidance.
Mentee Tips
See below for some suggestions on getting the most out of your mentor/mentee relationship adapted from NACE (2017).
- Create A Journal – start to keep track of your meetings and the content discussed in a notebook. Write about the advice or information you gleaned from your meetings and highlight action steps. Reflect on your conversations with your mentor by reviewing your notes later.
- Draft Questions – use your journal to create a list of questions or ideas you would like to discuss in an upcoming meeting. Try not to ask simple questions that you can easily find on the internet. Remember that your mentor is there to provide insight and advice, so try to leverage this experience to guide what you would like to discuss.
- Demonstrate Gratitude – thank your mentor often. After you meet with your mentor, send an e-mail or quick note to express your ‘thank you’ and reflect some of what you learned through your conversation.
- Stay In Touch – try to check in with your mentor by providing an update, e.g. the book you looked into or the advice you took. You might also confirm your next meeting to make sure the dates/times still work with the mentor’s schedule.
- Reevaluate Your Goals – make sure the mentor/mentee relationship is still working for both parties by reassessing this process with your mentor. Midway through your experience, take some time to check-in to ensure the experience is still valuable for both participants.
- Be Respectful – your mentor is providing you with an opportunity for professional growth, access to a network, and advice/information on career paths and industries. As such, your mentor not there to solve your personal problems or find you a job. Through your interactions, keep this in mind and maintain a ‘posture of learning,’ by respecting the nature of the mentor/mentee relationship.
- Show Enthusiasm – show your excitement and eagerness as you interact with your mentor. By demonstrating your curiosity, it can help you to develop a friendly and warm foundation and show you appreciate your mentor’s time.
- COME IN FOR A LANDING – understand when to end your formal mentoring relationship. At some point, you will need to move on from this formal experience. Try to summarize the mentoring experience in a thank you note to your mentor. Refer to your notes and write about all that you gained and learned.
- DEVELOP NEXT STEPS – complete a self-reflection process, and ask ‘where are you now in your career path?’ Determine whether you would like to work with another mentor or consider becoming a mentor to someone else.
Sources
NACE (2017). Being a Successful Mentee: A Guide for Career Services and URR Professionals.
EACE (n.d.) A Guide for Mentees.
Summary
Hawks ‘Take Flight’ offers a unique opportunity for Trustees, alumni and volunteers to be matched with graduating students interested in your field of practice or area of interest. The mentoring relationship is a great way for students to learn more about your industry, practice networking and obtain guidance on professional goals. Thank you for considering playing a role in the future of our RWU students.
Program Goals
- Provide students with an opportunity to receive professional advice from our network and detailed information on career paths and industries
- Strengthen relationships between RWU loyal alumni/volunteers with graduating students to display the full scope of support behind them
Role of a Mentor
A mentor is someone that is willing to provide help and advice to a Roger Williams University student over a period of time with the goal of contributing to the mentee’s professional and career development.
Role of a Mentee
A mentee actively participates in a relationship with the mentor and seeks out information, knowledge and experiences that will be helpful to guide their professional and career development. A mentee is not a passive participant, but must remain active and accountable for facilitating the mentee/mentor relationship.
Mentor Expectations
As a mentor, I agree that I will communicate and present myself professionally, while being courteous/respectful in my interactions (in person, in writing, by phone, video chat or email) and will:
- Maintain utmost professionalism and respect with all students regardless of race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and/or status.
- Maintain honesty and integrity in all information and materials shared with students.
- Acknowledge calls, emails and invitations, and respond appropriately in a timely manner
- Inform the Office of Alumni Relations of any concerns or questions
- Inappropriate behavior will result in removal from the program
Preparing To Be A Mentor
- Self-Reflect – reflect on your areas of interest because they may be wider than your profession, time commitments, and communication style to be prepared to share what you are hoping to provide in the mentor/mentee relationship.
- Update Your Materials– update your online presence, e.g. LinkedIn profile, and your resume, so your mentee can learn more about you.
- Expect A Plan from Mentee – prepare to discuss goals for the relationship that you will discuss with your mentee and refine together, discuss how frequently you would like to meet with your mentee, how long each meeting will last, and what modality will be used, e.g. Zoom, Skype, Phone, etc.
Mentor Tips
- Be yourself and share honest and valuable advice with your mentee. There is a mutual benefit to both parties with open, constructive conversation.
- Don’t be afraid to contact the Office of Alumni Relations with any concerns or questions.
- If the relationship is not as productive as desired, please reach out to the RWU team, because we have resources to help both parties.
- Be realistic with your time. We appreciate your time and efforts to be a volunteer.
- Please know we respect and value any time given to the program. Our students will benefit from your involvement.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Interested in being a mentor?
Please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@rwu.edu or (401) 254-3735.
For additional information, please feel free to reach out to the Office of Alumni Relations.