In Good Hands
By Sharon L. Crenson
Opportunities for alumni/student interaction at Wharton show that mentors can make all the difference.
Alumni mentors make all the difference
David Feldman, W'82, L'85, and chairman of the
Wharton Alumni Association Board, swears this is
a true story: A Wharton student walked up to an
acquaintance who is an administrator at the School
one day and said: "You know, everyone here talks
about getting a job as an investment banker, but I
don't really know what one is."
"And these are smart kids, really smart kids," says Feldman,
managing partner of the New York-based law firm Feldman
Weinstein, LLP. But academic life, he says—even at the highest
level of the game—doesn't often include teaching detailed job descriptions.
If a student wants to know what it's like to work in the
tax department of a Fortune 500 company, or how a stock broker
starts his day, or how to organize the press launch of a new advertising
campaign, their best bet is likely to ask someone outside the
classroom.
That doesn't necessarily mean looking outside the Wharton
community, however. The School is actively seeking alumni willing
to donate a small amount of their time to mentor students,
something the students say has proved invaluable.
Take Edward Byun, for example, a Wharton undergraduate
in his senior year who is studying for a dual degree with
the College of Arts and Sciences. Byun enrolled last spring in
an entrepreneurial management class that called for developing
a business plan from scratch. It also offered the chance to
work with a mentor matched with the group through Wharton
Entrepreneurial Programs (WEP).
- Welcome to Your New Network
- "Grizzled Veterans" and Fledgling Ventures
- Knowledge in 30 Minutes: The Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program
- Share Your Success: Wharton Colloquia
- Mentoring 101: How to Get Involved
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