Loyola Mentors celebrates first anniversary
By Courtney M. Jackson | Student Writer
Connecting with professional mentors during a pandemic can be difficult. But for Sydney Seufzer (BBA ’22), the perfect solution was Loyola Mentors.
Loyola Mentors is a powerful networking and mentorship platform for Quinlan School of Business students and alumni that launched just over a year ago.
“On Loyola Mentors, I already have an established connection of being from the same school as the alumni mentors,” says Seufzer. Once on the platform, the finance major found that “the mentors are all people who want to help you, provide expertise, and answer any questions you may have.”
Seufzer and more than 1,000 other Quinlan students and alumni have joined Loyola Mentors since it launched.
Experiencing flash mentorship
All Quinlan students and alumni on Loyola Mentors can take part in “flash mentoring,” which is informal mentorship activities such as informational interviews, resume reviews, and advice-giving.
“Every mentor on the platform has volunteered their time to help business students and fellow alumni with their professional growth,” says Paityn Korner, the Quinlan staff member overseeing Loyola Mentors. “Flash mentoring is a convenient and user-friendly format for both mentors and mentees.”
Seufzer has connected with two Loyola alumni through flash mentoring. While she found networking daunting at first, Seufzer says she enjoys asking questions through the platform’s chat feature and on Zoom.
“Now I enjoy talking to people who have experience because that’s something I would not gain from class,” says Seufzer.
Advice from Quinlan alumni
Seufzer has learned a lot from her mentors. One mentor, Kristen Covington (BBA ’13), was honest about the pros and cons of working in finance and introduced her to a new field.
“Kristen introduced me to underwriting. I had never heard of underwriting before, and Google only gives you a certain amount of information on a job,” Seufzer says. “It was really valuable to have those conversations to learn more about it.”
Loyola Mentors also helped Seufzer change how she approached applying for a job.
She says, “I looked at job applications a little differently after I met with my mentors. They opened my eyes to how I can be more invested in the job application process.”
Joining Loyola Mentors
Seufzer encourages Quinlan students and alumni to join Loyola Mentors.
“I think alumni should join because they may not realize how helpful their information or their experiences are to somebody,” Seufzer says. “It provides a lot of important insight for someone who doesn’t know where to start.”
