Mentoring at Colby
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Last fall the Colby C Club embarked on two new initiatives. Karl Dornish ’56 told you about some new fund-raising initiatives in the last newsletter, and in this issue I would like to tell you about our plans for a mentoring program. For several years the C Club has been talking with the Alumni Association, the Athletics Department, and College administrators about ways to bring together interested alumni and current student athletes to discuss their experiences at Colby and after. How many times at alumni gatherings have you heard someone say that he or she wished he or she had taken this course or participated in that activity? Through the mentoring program we would like to encourage today’s students to broaden their horizons and take full advantage of all the College has to offer. We also would like to provide a forum for networking and career counseling. Some initiatives are already underway. Well-established coaches often call upon their former players to meet and talk with students. Jim Tortorella (men’s hockey) and Jen Holsten (women’s soccer) are the hosts of well-attended alumni games. Dick Whitmore (men’s basketball) combines an alumni game with a panel discussion at which Lou Zambello ’55 offers students his own unique brand of advice. Ed Mestieri (football) holds a session at which Jill Gordon (philosophy), the team’s academic liaison, and I meet jointly with the underclassmen, encouraging them to explore fully the richness that Colby has to offer. In an effort to expand these types of events, Coach Whitmore is meeting with the newer Colby coaches to gauge their interest and connect them with interested alumni. You will hear more about this soon. If you think you might be interested in participating, please let me know. The Alumni Association and the College are actively planning complementary events. This September the Alumni Association will launch the Colby Alumni Network, sponsoring a career day on campus. Many from among our membership will be invited to participate. The College is planning a leadership training event for August, and the whole range of student leaders, including team captains, will be invited to a multi-day workshop designed to enhance leadership skills. This is an exciting moment in Colby’s history, with the new alumni center, the Diamond Building, the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement, the Lunders’ gift of art, and the impressive start for the capital campaign. But equally exciting for the C Club is the realization of these two new initiatives. President Bro Adams in his remarks at reunion suggested that Colby is on the cusp of a new exciting era; so is the C Club. I invite you to join us. |
