By Matthew Berger/reporter
TCC students who are looking for a role model in their lives can go to their nearest advisor and ask to join the mentor program.
“Students are assigned a faculty member at TCC who knows the major that the student is interested in,” said NE academic advisor Mary Czajkowski. “Mentors help students stay on track to reach their goals.”
A lot of students who join the program don’t have a support system or are first-generation college students who need a mentor to help them through school, Czajkowski said. It is a way for faculty members to have more contact with their students.
Since this is the mentor program’s first year, not all TCC students know it exists.
“I had no idea we had a mentor program,” said SE Campus student Ronald Musser. “I believe it would have helped me when I first started college. Getting help from a professor in my major would have helped to learn about good study habits and how to succeed in college.”
Some mentors at TCC have been helping students for a long time.
“I believe if students have a mentor, they will most likely stay in school,” said NE Campus associate professor of management Mary Alice Smith. “Students who have a support system have a higher chance of succeeding in school.”
“I had a mentor when I was in graduate school,” Smith said. “He was very helpful with my career choice and encouraged me to stay in school.”
