Faculty mentoring aids students

By Argelia Lara, Special Projects Coordinator
Faculty Mentoring Program

Throughout the fall 2004, Fresno State’s Faculty Mentoring Program had approximately 80 student participants.  Each student was assigned a faculty mentor in their area of interest (major). Students were required to be enrolled in University 1 as well as meet three times with their faculty mentor throughout the semester.

Although there were many students, Nicte-Sazil Chavez, Patricia Santana and Camila Gutierrez were a few who were willing to volunteer and share their experience.

 Nicte-Sazil Chavez, currently a freshman was mentored by Dr. K.C. Chen, professor of Finance and Business Law.  As a first-generation college student Nicte found being assigned to Dr. K.C. Chen a very positive experience. Nicte reported that her mentor was very helpful in “talking to her about the different options in business because she is unsure of what options she will like to pursue as a business major.”

Throughout their meetings Nicte commented that “they talked about anything” and she received guidance from her mentor and was provided with valuable advice. Because of everything he has accomplished, Nicte considers Dr. Chen “a role model and someone she admires.”

Nicte stated, “He has a Ph.D., he knows what he’s talking about.  I can look up to him and see what he’s done”.

Patricia Santana, an art-studio major was assigned to Dr. Michael Caldwell a professor of Music. Patricia stated that although their interests were not exactly in the same area, she and Dr. Caldwell were able to build a positive professional relationship. Patricia and Dr. Caldwell met about every other week throughout the first semester.

Contacting her mentor for the first time was not as difficult as she imagined. She made the initial contact by e-mailing him, and he e-mailed her right back. Patricia reported that “she felt comfortable with her mentor and she felt she could speak to him about anything.”

Throughout their meetings, her mentor gave her the option of how they would spend their time. Patricia stated, “He asked how I was doing in classes or if I had any problems.”  She described her mentor as a person that is easy to talk to and that to her was very important because it made it easier for her to get something out of the experience.  Patricia is interested in continuing her mentoring relationship throughout her time at Fresno State because she sees it as a networking opportunity.

“It is good to have a connection with faculty not only for school purpose but for life.”  Throughout this experience Patricia has learned not to be intimidated by faculty and sees “them kind of like us (students).”

Camila Gutierrez, a student in interior design was mentored by Kathy Valdez a graduate student in Counseling, who also participated in the Faculty Mentoring Program as a freshman. Camila met her mentor at a Meet Your Mentor Event, an event established to ease the contact between mentor and mentee.

Camila reported her mentor was very helpful in assisting her in looking for jobs.  During the first meeting her mentor brought printouts of jobs available.  She additionally helped her with her schedule and most important of all was very open to meeting with her. 

Unlike other students, Camila and her mentor had very different interests.  Camila at the time was interested in interior design and her mentor was a child development major as an undergrad.  Although they had different interests, Ms. Valdez had also been interested in interior design as an undergraduate.

Camila stated, “at least my mentor had a feel for it (Interior Design) because she was also interested as a student. She’s helped me decide on a major and now I’m a construction management major.”

Camila sees her mentor as another example that “you can do it.” She has learned to network and that just as she’s been helped, she can help others. She sees her mentor as someone she can fall back to and rely on. Camila appreciated that her mentor initiated contacts in meetings and stated that, “she actually looked like she cared.”   

These students are just a few of the students that have benefited from mentoring.  They have all built very valuable relationships that have assisted them in many different ways.  The program targets these students in hope that these relationships will carry on throughout their years at Fresno State and will contribute to their continuation in college and lead them to obtain a college degree.

The Faculty Mentoring Program would like to acknowledge all mentors who volunteered their time during the Fall 2004 semester and who will continue to mentor throughout the spring 2005 semester.        

     Professor Laura Alamillo, Dr. Joan Henderson-Sparks, Dr. Art Parham, Ms. Kimra Aquino, Dr. Matthew Jendian, Dr. Miguel Perez, Dr. Rosie Arenas, MSG Patrick Johnston, Dr. Katie Ramos, Dr. Saeed Attar, Ms Argelia Lara, Dr. Mamta Rawat, Dr. Mary Barakzai, Dr. Marilyn Miller, Dr. Maria Sanchez, Dr. Michael Caldwell , Professor Shane Moreman, Dr. Claire Sham-Choy, Dr. K.C. Chen, Dr. Keitha Mountcastle, Dr. Joan Sharma, Dr. Sulekha Coticone, Dr. James Mullooly, Dr. William Skuban, Mr. Nathan Dean, Dr. Bernadette Muscat, Dr. Victor Torres, Mr. Abel de la Cruz, Ms. Lori Natal, Dr. Brian Tsukimura, Dr. Doreen De Leon, Dr. Dennis Nef, Ms. Kathy Valdez, Dr. Corinne Florez, Dr. Yaw Oheneba-Sakyi, Dr. Albert Valencia, Ms. Linda Hall, Dr. Frank Padilla, Professor Martin Valencia, Dr. Grace C.N. Wei, and Dr. Arthur Wint

For information and an application for the Faculty Mentoring Program, please call 8-7766 or visit our Web site at www.csufresno.edu/univ1_fmp.