by Victoria Richardson

For the first time, 25 juniors are participating in the eMentoring program this year that pairs students with alumnae in their career field of interest. Students contact their mentors using Moodle at least twice a quarter to ask questions about their career.

Director of leadership and learning Kathy Brodie leads the eMentoring program.  According to Brodie, students can message their mentor as many times as they want, but they must message them at least twice each quarter. Each junior will make the initial contact.

According to Brodie, students should ask questions such as what a typical day is like for the mentor, what colleges mentors attended or what colleges are known for their fields of interest.

“The value of the whole program will be on the questions the mentees ask,” Brodie said.

The idea for eMentoring came from STA president Nan Bone, who mentored in her previous employment. According to Brodie, Bone wanted to give juniors more information about future careers, and eMentoring is an effective way to provide information without affecting a student’s or mentor’s daily routine. Because students and mentors message each other on their own time, mentoring can be more of a help than a stress when students and mentors use Moodle, Brodie said.

Junior Viridiana Hernadez, a student in the eMentoring program, agrees questions are important to eMentoring.

“I signed up for the eMentoring program to learn more about the medical field since I don’t know anyone in that field personally,” Hernandez said. “This way, I can ask them whatever questions I have and decide whether or not I’m sure about going into that field.”

In the future, Brodie hopes for students to meet with more than one mentor if they have multiple career interests. For now, each student is assigned only one mentor in their choice career.

Mentors do not have to be STA alumnae, but, according to Brodie, it is preferable mentors have some relation to the school. This year, mentors can be found across Missouri, Kansas, Texas, New York and other states.

Though it is a pilot program, Brodie plans to continue eMentoring, making adjustments along the way. She hopes all juniors will participate and benefit from the program in the future.

“I want [mentors] to know how awesome St. Teresa’s girls are,” Brodie said.