Alumni Mentorship
You have something to offer the world and Touro.
When you share professional and personal experiences and expertise with current students the connections made prepare our students for success and leave a lasting impact on our community.
Meaningful Mentoring
We believe the educational path begun at Touro isn't linear, it's circular. Our students and our Alumni benefit enormously when there is a symbiotic relationship between the two groups. Not only are these relationships mutually beneficial, in a very real sense they also benefit our communities, our country and the world.
Alumni Mentors provide knowledge, understanding and perspective that students have consistently said they desperately want and need. Students, on the other hand, provide Alumni with new enthusiasm, inspired optimism, and untapped ability.
Symbiosis. Reciprocity. Excitement. Fulfillment. Our Mentorship program offers these things to you, as an alum, and to our students, as individuals on the precipice of a great professional future.
Join The Program
The Touro University California Alumni-Student Mentorship Program is designed to connect Touro California students with Touro California alumni, allowing them the opportunity to gain valuable experience and advice for personal and career development.
The relationship between mentors and mentees is viewed as a partnership. The Mentorship Program is not intended as a job placement service for students but is offered as a tool for students seeking career path advice from successful and experienced Touro University California alumni.
If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please complete the Interest Form below.
About The Program
Alumni Mentors
The Touro California Alumni Mentor Program enables you to share your professional and personal experience and expertise with current Touro California students. The connections made in the program help prepare our students for a successful future and leave a lasting impact on our campus community.
As an Alumni mentor, you will have the opportunity to advise student(s) through academic guidance, career advice and personal development for the academic year. We encourage mentors and mentees to connect on a regular basis (i.e. once-a-month phone call, in-person meeting, or email conversation). However, the frequency and form of communication are things you may determine together.
You do not have to be on campus to leave a footprint at Touro. Whether you are right down the street or across the globe, we invite alumni from around the world to be part of the Touro California Alumni Mentor Program.
What Alumni Mentors Do
- Commit to serving as a resource to your mentee student.
- Provide your real-world experience re: jobs, industry knowledge, and career aspirations.
- Assist with your mentee student's personal growth.
- Discuss common fields of interest.
- Offer suggestions and feedback.
- Share experiences of working in your particular field.
- Encourage goal-setting and achievement.
- Respond to emails from the program administrator.
Alumni Mentorship Structure & Commitment
- We keep the program unstructured so it can easily fit into a busy lifestyle. We provide tips and tools that are helpful to keep the conversation going.
- The time commitment for the program is as short as one semester and as long as you and your mentee want to spend on the program.
- An Alumni may participate as many times as they would like through the Touro California Alumni Mentoring Program.
- Try to communicate with your mentee as often as possible. The contact communication can be a mix of phone calls, email, personal meetings if possible, etc.
- As a mentor, you will only be paired with as many mentees as you see fit.
Questions for Alumni Mentors to Ask Their Student Mentees
Building a strong relationship with your mentee can be crucial for getting a successful mentorship started. Here are six questions alumni mentors can ask students to get to know them better:
- What are some of your biggest passions or interests outside of your academic pursuits?
- Can you share a significant challenge or obstacle you've overcome in your life and how it shaped you?
- What motivates you to strive for success, both personally and academically?
- Are there any particular experiences or moments in your life that have had a profound impact on who you are today?
- How do you typically handle stress or setbacks, and what strategies do you use to bounce back?
- What are your short-term and long-term goals, and how do you envision yourself achieving them?
Student Mentees
As a Touro California student, you have exclusive access to a robust network of Alumni who are eager and willing to meet you and share their wisdom and knowledge about life after Toruo. The Alumni Mentor Program is a unique opportunity for you to form meaningful and lasting relationships with Alumni that will extend beyond campus walls.
As a program participant, you will be paired with a mentor for an entire academic year. We encourage mentors and mentees to connect on a regular basis. You will decide the frequency and form of communication together.
Student Mentee Eligibility
To become a mentee, you must have completed at least one semester at Touro University California and be in good academic standing (3.0 cumulative GPA or higher; or passing if a College of Osteopathic Medicine student). Students must also be approved by their program prior to becoming a mentee.
Student Mentee Opportunities & Commitments
- A chance to learn from the mentoring relationship by communicating your goals and aspirations to your mentor.
- An opportunity to learn to balance personal and professional relationship with your mentor — just as you will with colleagues and leaders throughout your career.
- You'll set aside time for the mentoring process and keep all scheduled appointments with your mentor and display professional behavior.
- You will learn to respond professionally, in a timely manner, to your mentor's feedback.
- You can be open and honest with your mentor about your challenges and weaknesses.
- As in the professional world, if something concerning your mentor needs to be discussed with others, it should first be discussed within the mentoring relationship.
Questions for Student Mentees to Ask Their Alumni Mentors
Building a strong relationship with mentors can be crucial for personal and academic growth. Here are six questions university students can ask mentors to get to know them better:
- What inspired you to pursue your current career or field of expertise?
- Can you share a pivotal moment or experience that shaped your professional journey?
- How do you approach work-life balance, and what strategies have you found effective in maintaining it?
- What advice do you wish you had received when you were a Touro University California student?
- In what ways do you continue to learn and grow professionally, and do you have any favorite resources or learning methods?
- Can you tell me about a mentor or role model who has had a significant impact on your life or career, and what lessons did you learn from them?
Mentor & Mentee Matching Process
Students and Alumni are thoughtfully paired based on a variety of factors including course of study and career aspirations. It is important to note that student protégés and Alumni mentors may not have the exact major or career but we believe our Alumni mentors have much more to offer than just career advice! All of your professional, personal, academic and life experiences are valuable to share.
While we cannot guarantee every Alumni volunteer will be paired, willing Alumni volunteers who are not paired are offered other opportunities to support students.