The Harrington School is fully committed to helping its students achieve success. The Harrington School Mentoring Program is one of the many ways it prepares students for the real world.

The Harrington Mentoring Program connects students with established alumni and members of the Harrington School Executive Advisory Board to help students gain a deeper understanding of jobs and careers in communication and media. These mentors are industry leaders in areas including television, public relations, sports media, journalism, and film production.

Dr. Justin Wyatt, associate director of the Harrington School and mentoring program director, has seen firsthand the impact the program has had on both the students in the program, as well as the mentors.

“I’ve been really impressed by how both the mentors and the students value the mentoring experience,” Wyatt said. “Students see the mentoring as a crucial way to connect with media leaders and to get advice on how to start their careers and how to engage with professionals in the workplace. Mentors often comment on how much they value hearing the students’ perspectives and opinions.”

After students apply for the program and are accepted, they are matched with their mentor based on their academic and career interests. Then, they must attend an orientation session where they are prepared for the program by defining what their goals are, making sure students understand their active role in the mentoring process, and reviewing what to expect throughout the program. Finally, students make their first phone call with their mentor, and the relationship continues to grow from there.

As a member of the mentoring program, I am pleased to share my personal experience with the program. I have grown tremendously with the help of my mentor, Sammi Vogel, senior project manager, BBC StoryWorks, and have really learned more about the world of communications than I ever thought I could. We have chatted many times over the phone and have even met in person. She has really helped me figure out what I want in a career and has given me invaluable advice about finding my first job after graduation.

Dr. Wyatt hopes that the continued growth of the mentoring program brings more established alumni and local professionals on board to become mentors to Harrington School students while also bringing professionals for all different areas of interests for the students.  If you are interested in becoming a mentor or mentee, please email Dr. Wyatt at justinw@uri.edu.