Mentor Leadership Program

In-Class Mentoring Program

Mentorship is a powerful tool for student success, helping students build professional networks, gain career insights, and develop confidence as they prepare for the workforce. At Cal State Monterey Bay, many students are first-generation college students, transfer students, or individuals exploring new career paths who may not have access to established professional connections. To make mentorship more accessible, industry professionals are brought into upper-division courses, providing students with meaningful opportunities to engage with experienced professionals in a supportive classroom environment. This approach helps students understand the value of mentorship, develop professional skills, and build connections that can support their future career growth.

Mentorship Mission: Empowering Future Leaders

The In-Class Mentoring Program at CSUMB’s College of Business is designed to make mentorship feel approachable, welcoming, and useful. Instead of expecting students to seek out mentors on their own, the program introduces them to experienced professionals through structured classroom conversations.

Mentors share their career journeys, lessons learned, and practical advice. Students have the opportunity to ask questions, practice professional communication, and learn how mentorship can support their personal and career growth.

How the Program Works

The program is integrated into Principles of Management (BUS 305), with faculty preparing students before mentor visits. Students may practice elevator pitches, develop questions, and reflect on what they hope to learn.

During the classroom visit, mentors meet with students in small groups to discuss topics such as:

Networking and Career Exploration
Workplace Expectations
Interview Preparation
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Building Professional Relationships

This format helps students engage with mentors in a comfortable setting while gaining insight from professionals with different backgrounds and experiences.

Why It Matters

Mentorship helps students see what is possible. It gives them access to encouragement, perspective, and career knowledge that can shape their next steps. By meeting mentors in the classroom, students can build confidence before entering internships, interviews, networking events, and professional workplaces.

The program also gives mentors a meaningful way to support the next generation of business leaders. Many mentors return each term because they value the opportunity to connect with students and contribute to their growth.

"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

For Mentors

Mentors are essential to the success of this program. Your role is not to deliver a formal lecture, but to share your experience, answer questions, and help students feel more prepared for the professional world.

Mentors typically participate in a brief orientation and one in-class mentoring session. Sessions are structured, supportive, and guided by faculty and program leads. Your time and insight can make a lasting difference for students who are beginning to build their professional networks.

What You Can Expect:

We are thrilled to have you join our classes! You’ll be attending a first-year class or a third-year class, a couple of which are online.

Here’s what you’ll be doing:

Meet with groups of students, which minimizes social pressures of talking one-on-one
Group sessions are 15-20 minutes each - your faculty member will keep time
Feel free to direct the conversation any way it naturally flows
Common topics: importance of networking, takeaways from your career (biggest successes and mistakes), how to make a good first impression, choosing a career path that matches your values and strengths, making tough decisions, etc.
Heads up: students are very interested/concerned about how AI is shaping their job outlook - for good reason!

About the Students:

Most students are the first in their family to attend college, many are in in their first year at CSUMB as freshmen or transfers
Students will have seen your bios in advance
In the third-year classes, students are working on their "elevator pitches” which introduce themselves to professionals
For zoom sessions, students have been told to turn on cameras but we cannot mandate it, so some may have cameras off

Get Involved

The In-Class Mentoring Program creates space for students and professionals to connect, learn, and grow together. By making mentorship part of the classroom experience, CSUMB helps students build the confidence, skills, and relationships they need to move forward in their careers.

Interested in being a Mentor? Email: innovation@csumb.edu