Mentorship Program
The School of CSD launched a new mentorship program connecting alumni with current students. In Spring 2024, fifteen mentors were paired with sixteen CSD student mentees to discuss topics including surviving graduate school, finding a CF or externship, transitioning to the workforce, goal setting, and more. “The mentorship program aims to foster personal and professional development, offering a unique opportunity for you to connect with an experienced mentor who can share their knowledge and insights," explained Dr. Lynda Feenaughty in an email to students interested in the program. Mentors committed to monthly one-hour meetings with their mentee virtually or in person. Alumni volunteers, many of whom lived outside of Memphis, appreciated the opportunity to be involved remotely.
Frances Breland, Lynda Feenaughty, and Katherine Mendez collaborated to create the mentoring program in response to several areas of need. Each contributor was motivated by unique perspectives and passions.
“For me, it comes back to a passion for helping people connect and get the resources they need.” Mrs. Breland said. “That’s central to my role in CSD and to what I think students need to be successful. Relationships are a primary mechanism for growth in people’s lives. I wanted to help develop a mentoring program to provide support for students for the learning they need to do outside of the classroom.”
“I have had strong mentorship throughout my education and professional journey, and it has made a significant difference in how I view and approach my role as an administrator, researcher, and educator,” Dr. Feenaughty said. “The mentoring program allows me to help facilitate similar positive opportunities for our current students.”
“I am passionate about making this program and this field accessible and welcoming to all kinds of people,” Ms. Mendez shared. “This means recognizing and anticipating a wide variety of needs and providing the appropriate supports to meet those needs. Our students who belong to communities that have historically been excluded from this field do not have the benefit of seeing lots of examples of SLPs who look like them or whose experiences mirror their own. A mentoring program provides the opportunity for these students to build relationships with successful SLPs who share important aspects of their identity and who can relate to important experiences and provide valuable support and advice.”
Development of a mentoring program came from listening to students. “Students expressed a desire to connect with professionals in the field beyond clinical supervisors and instructors,” Dr. Feenaughty shared “The semi-structured mentoring program allows students to ask questions that may be more personal in nature but relevant to professional choices down the line.”
Additionally, Mrs. Breland recognized several needs in the school that could be helped by a mentorship program. She learned that mentorship was frequently offered to students in other programs. Involvement of young alumni formed another piece of the puzzle. “Our students needed more help, our faculty didn’t have the bandwidth to meet all of the needs, and mentoring was a way to meet those needs and help increase involvement from our young alumni,” Breland explained. As the CSD program grows, a mentorship program gives students the opportunity for more one-on-one support during their clinical education.
The mentorship program is recruiting Fall mentors for a new cohort of mentees. The coordinators plan to grow and refine the program. More mentors, especially in the audiology area, are needed so that more students can take advantage of this program. If you are interested in being a mentor, please complete this brief survey.