Sharon Crino's in-class College of Business mentoring program at CSUMB
May 6, 2024
Having good mentors is critical to career success. It’s also intimidating! Sharon Crino is on a mission to make mentors less scary by bringing industry leaders into the classroom to talk about their own improbable career paths and then converse with students in small groups.
Mentorship mission: Empowering future leaders
“I don’t want anyone to have to go through the difficulties I went through coming up in my career. That’s why I’m connecting CSUMB students to mentors while they’re still in college.” – Sharon Crino
Crino works with faculty members at the College of Business to bring 3-5 mentors into each classroom. The mentoring program is integrated into the curriculum, with assignments preparing students ahead of mentors visits. Student feedback shows that it’s an eye-opener and a semester highlight. Mentors love meeting students, with many returning to serve each term.
Leveraging her experience as a former Kodak executive and chair of the Monterey County Red Cross, Crino has led the in-class mentoring initiative at the College of Business in CSUMB for the past several years. By inviting experienced business leaders to share their career journeys and engage in small group discussions, the idea is to demystify career paths by making mentors more approachable for students. The goal is to help students break down barriers to career planning through opening their minds to a variety of career possibilities and catching the vision for their own successful future.