By Jamil Oakford/se news editor

SE Campus career services is giving students the chance to succeed after they receive their degrees.

The Career Mentor Program, run by instructional assistant Lisa Jackson, was created several years ago.

“Gina Maloy, our coordinator, decided it’d be good for the students,” career services senior office assistant Quietera Lomax said.

The program is designed for students to find a mentor in the field of work they want to pursue.

“It’s student-specific,” Jackson said. “We get mentors in as many fields as needed.”

The focus for the program is based on the fact that the professional world has its own unspoken rules, and breaking them could mean a potential candidate doesn’t get the job, Jackson said.

“There are secrets in the corporate world, and they can only be uncovered by a mentor – another person who wants to see you succeed,” she said.

Students can expect help from career services on all campuses through their mentorship process.

“Career services can assist with resumes, practice questions and give the support and encouragement that’s needed for them to approach their mentor,” she said.

Jackson said she wants students to understand the mentors are here to help them be successful after they leave TCC.

Students are expected to be in contact with their mentors at least twice a semester. The program aids in this by hosting luncheons for mentors and students to meet and mingle.

SE student Masheila Wright is starting a new career and finds this program a great advantage.

“I wanted to be sure I’m going in the right direction,” she said. “I’m ready to take it to another level.”

The value of networking and utilizing the resources that are available to them are important things students can take away from the program.

“Education is more than just the degree,” Lomax said.

Jackson then chimed in, “It’s also forming relations and your academic learning while earning your degree that is just as important.”

For more information on this program or to sign up, students can contact SE career services at 817-515-3592 or visit ESEE 2103A.