Dear Jackson,
We are pleased to let you know that you have been matched with an undergraduate computer science student for our DCS Career Mentorship Program. At this point, you do not need to do anything - it is the student's responsibility to contact you by the first week of January; if you do not hear from anyone by January 9th, please contact us.
We hope you will be available to meet your student in person at our launch reception on the evening of Monday, January 19th, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (A pdf invitation will follow after the holidays.) Of course, you are welcome to arrange a meeting with your student before the launch, if it is mutually convenient.
For the second time this year, we are including a reflective writing component in the mentorship program. We will be asking students to reflect on their experience and to periodically record their responses to specific questions that we provide. Reflective writing has been shown to deepen learning, and we believe it will help our students take an active role in their relationship with you. Mentees participated in a pre-launch prep session a few weeks ago, at which they discussed and wrote about their goals for the program. We were very pleased to see how enthusiastically everyone participated in the event. Students have lots of practical questions about things like interviewing and transitioning to work, and also questions about big picture issues like where the field is going and how to be poised to take advantage of that. A good number of students expressed nervousness about meeting their mentors. We assured them that our alumni view this program as an opportunity, not a chore, and that they are excited to help our students find their way into a wonderful career.
Thank you so much for volunteering your time to be a part of this important program. We know your student is looking forward to meeting you. We hope you enjoy the experience!