Student leaders selected for mentor program

A new group of Georgia College students have been welcomed into the Georgia Education Mentorship program for the 2011-12 academic year.

The leadership program, established in 2002, is designed to match students with successful professionals in a variety of industries who mentor them in leadership and business.

A year-long program, the mentorship offers luncheons, training and other leadership-building activities, as well as the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with mentors. Students receive one hour of academic credit.

To be accepted into the program, students must go through a selection process including sending in an application packet and an interview with the GEM Program Advisory Board. The student must also have earned 30 credit hours and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

John Bowen, coordinator of leadership programs, says these students are chosen for many reasons.

“We look for high-achieving students who have done well in the classroom and been actively involved on campus in student organizations and service projects” Bowen said. “These students should be outstanding representatives of the Georgia College student body and committed to getting the most out of the GEM experience.”

Lauren Pavao, senior political science major, is one of the 21 students that were chosen for the program.

“I’m being mentored by Tracy Plott who is partner of Schiff Hardin law firm,” Pavao said.

Students are paired with mentors based on their personality traits to ensure the experience is beneficial for both parties.

Because students in the program have a variety of different majors and focuses, not every student is paired with someone in his or her area of academic focus. Despite the

differences in job fields, students still receive a vast amount of experience in a professional setting, which is what the program is really designed to provide.

Sam Johnson, senior biology major, was also accepted into the program and is being mentored by Ben Hall Jr., CEO of Dublin Construction Co. Inc.

“Each student gets into contact with their mentor and sets up a time and date for meetings,” Johnson said. “It’s pretty liberal, as for the amount of time you spend with them. Some people set up meetings once a month, some more or less.”

Pavao has already met with her mentor twice this semester.

“My mentor is a litigator and I got to go visit her partner’s trial,” Pavao said. “I was able to talk to her partners about the professional world in general and it was a great learning experience.”

The program is essentially for students to obtain real-world experience, which is something Johnson is eagerly anticipating.

“I’m looking forward to getting experience with someone who’s already been successful,” Johnson said. “I’ve been provided with all the tools I need to get to that point, but it will be really interesting getting to work with someone who has used those tools to gain success already.”

In just two meetings, Pavao has already retained some comforting wisdom from her mentor.

“I really appreciate the guidance that Tracy has given me,” Pavao said. “She has reassured me that I’m only 22 and I don’t have to know what I want to do. She is a financial litigator, and I really appreciate spending time with someone of her stature, someone who is so well-respected.”

Being in the program gives these students special perks, including meeting important, successful people.

“We just returned from an event I’ve been looking forward to for quite a while,” Bowen said. “We had a meeting at the State Capitol with the Government Affairs staff of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, who is our partner in the GEM program.”

Bowen says that this was the first event the GEM program had with the Chamber of Commerce and the students were able to learn a lot about how they work towards strengthening the business community in Georgia.

This is just one of many special activities to come for the GEM students who still have the remainder of the year to learn and grow within the program.

For information about the GEM program or to learn how to apply, visit their website at gcsu.edu/gem.

Posted by SabrinaChandler on Nov 10 2011. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.