Mentors from the business community and students from the College of Business gathered for the first time as participants in the Corporate Mentor Program on October 19. Super Bowl XXII MVP and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Doug Williams, who is also and the first and only African-American quarterback to win the award, talked with students and mentors at the event, sharing anecdotes about mentors in his own life. “In my life, my father was my first and greatest mentor,” he said, “but a number of coaches, teachers, and friends mentored me along the way too,” he said.
 

Former NFL superstar Doug Williams thanked area
business professionals for agreeing to serve as
mentors to business students, reflecting on the
impact mentors have made in his own life.

Williams’ experiences were relevant as he was able to tell students, from a first-hand perspective, why USF’s Corporate Mentor Program should matter to them. “These people can show you things; they can teach you lessons you’ll never find in a textbook,” he said, referring to the life lessons his own mentors taught him. The program, which pairs business students in a one-on-one advisory relationship with a mentor, strives to match students with a volunteer who works in the field the students aspire to enter. This year, the program made 75 student-mentor matches.
 

The program exposes students to the corporate environment, while allowing them to explore various career tracks to which they may have not previously been introduced.
 

“This experience supplements work learned in the classroom,” said Dean Robert Forsythe. “The opportunity for students to work directly with mentors in a professional setting gives them hands-on experience and a chance to incorporate academic knowledge into the workplace,” the dean added.

Mentors serve for two semesters and are provided with a mentoring guide as well as ongoing support by a professional advisor. They meet with a student at least twice a month for a few hours, often in the mentor’s workplace. During these meetings, students benefit from advice on career plans and advancement strategies, are introduced to the intricacies of particular organizations and industries, and establish a personal relationship with a future colleague.
 

The advisor also provides additional sessions for students to learn business lessons on campus through workshops and focused seminars. These workshops and seminars complement both the mentoring experience in the workplace as well as business courses students take as part of their curriculum.

Students find the program to be very helpful. “The Corporate Mentors Program provides us with the chance to experience the real world of business. Working so closely with mentors in our fields gives us great insight into particular professions,” said one of the participating students. They are grateful to the College for creating and maintaining the program, which they believe adds value to their learning experience. “The program is just one of the many opportunities provided by the College of Business that enhances our academic and professional growth.”

Last year, the Corporate Mentor Program wrapped up its year at an awards banquet in April. Chicago Bears Head Coach, Lovie Smith and Dr. Lee Green of the Moffitt Cancer Center served as guest speakers. Like Williams, they were able to reflect on the power of mentors by sharing personal memories of people who mattered.