Becoming connected and involved through the College of Engineering Ambassador program
Civil Engineering student Karl Christensen came to Utah State University as a freshman with a desire to make a difference.
Through his time here, he found a mentor that helped him through the tough rigor of his undergraduate years and eventually became an ambassador for the College of Engineering
While serving as an ambassador, he became connected to Nina Galittli, who is a retention specialist and advisor for the ambassador program in the College of Engineering.
Christensen’s conversations with Galittli entailed her strong desire to start a mentorship program, something she says has been on the back burner for quite awhile. The recipe for success, she said, was finding passionate students who were willing to do something with that vision and get it started.
“For engineering students, helping them get connected to the college is really important,” Galittli said. “Outside of the college, it is important to help those students understand what engineering is, what their resources are but also having them know people they can go to, to ask questions is equally important.”
Galittli said Christensen brought a lot of passion with him for the college of engineering, and wanted to help others have just as beneficial of an experience as he did as an incoming freshman student.
“He knew he wanted to help students become connected and engaged in the college,” Galittli said.
Both Galittli and Christensen have a strong desire to make sure that this mentorship program is a more functioning part of the college of engineering, hoping to double their numbers of participants in the coming years.
Currently, the college of Engineering ambassador mentorship has 200 students participating. By next year, Christensen said he would like to have 100 percent of all engineering majors to be involved in the mentorship program.
Jake Israelsen is a junior studying Mechanical Engineering. He also serves as a College of Engineering Ambassador and mentor.
“It all comes down to the opportunities that are available to students, especially engineering students,” Israelsen said. “There is always research going on, there are projects and events that are happening. We want to have mentors that have been successful in college help other freshman get to that point.”
Israelsen explained that this program is mostly mentee driven, in order for those being mentored to get the most out of their experience.
“Whatever they want out of it, they need to be the ones willing to address it with their mentors,” Israelsen said. “It can be hard to take initiative but the mentor can help guide them through what they want to do, and what they are looking to get out of it.”
But for Christensen, it isn’t just about helping students be successful. It’s about starting a program that will last, far beyond his time at the university, and helping others with a desire for leadership, reach their full potential.
Christensen has a dream to have the college of engineering ambassador mentorship become a sustainable program for years to come.
“I feel like I’ve poured my heart and soul into getting it going, and Jake has as well,” Christensen said. “I’m nothing special and have taken a step back. I want him to own it. If he owns it now, he can pass on the torch and keep it going from there.”
Galittli hopes that students, especially freshman, understand the importance of making connections in the college of engineering that will help them be successful, a major benefit that she says the mentorship program will hopefully accomplish.
“Having a mentor that is a junior or senior in your major who has been already down a similar path, has navigated the challenges and knows how to answer questions is just one resource the university provides,” Galittli said. “Students should know that they never should have to navigate by themselves.”
Israelsen has found great successes in his time as an ambassador and mentor and said it is something that has changed the way he viewed his college experience.
“If I didn’t find the people I did when I came to USU, I might still be here but my experience might have been a little bit different. I might not have gotten involved with what I’m involved in,” Israelsen said. “As much as college is about what you know, it’s also equally important who you know, and being able to make those networking connections.”
Christensen said his experience as a mentor has been all about perspective.
“The more you look back and try to help someone else, the more you can see where you’ve come from and where you’re going in your life,” Christensen said.
Israelsen relates that this mentorship program is all about helping spark interest in students, and helping guide them to the future they desire to have.
“It’s hard within the university, because it’s easy to feel small,” Israelsen said. “For a successful program, we like students to understand what their interests are and the direction they would like to go.”
Galittli has found her time working with the college ambassadors and mentors to be a delight. She has a strong desire for all students to find someone they know they can talk to that can help them through the early transition semesters.
“I work with a lot of fabulous students and it makes my job so much more fulfilling to have these experiences with students and to see their passions,” Galittli said. “I find it exciting to meet a student in their freshman or sophomore year that might be a little timid and then watch them grow into a senior, having become so dynamic and ready to go out and make a difference in the world.”
Israelsen said although there are many experiences and opportunities that are good for students to get to participate in for themselves, the opportunities available for engineering majors in networking situations collectively is enhanced by forging friendships and connections with other people.
“You learn more teaching someone else than by just learning for yourself,” Israelsen said. “It’s as much of a networking experience for the mentee as with the mentor, and those connections are just getting stronger.”
— kortni.marie.wells@aggiemail.usu.edu
@kortniwells