“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself” – Oprah Winfrey.
In 1998 Jennifer Cropper, a Tippie undergraduate, founded The University of Iowa’s Women in Business student organization to address the unique challenges women experience in a male-dominated space. Little did Jennifer know that over the next 20 years, WIB would become one of the largest Tippie organizations, accumulating hundreds of members. But it didn’t stop there. WIB was the first Tippie student organization to start a mentoring program that connects student members with businesswomen in the local community. I guess you could say that Jennifer saw hope in WIB’s future!
Just this year, our mentoring program had a record-breaking 80 mentoring pairs (160 participants altogether), which only reinforced the importance of our program. Members are looking for a place to build their professional development, network, transition into the work world, and reach their career goals. Our program gives them that place.
One of our members, Katie, joined the program her junior year to prepare herself as she was applying for summer internships. With guidance from her mentor, she landed a competitive summer internship with a successful insurance company that helped boost her professional development. One thing Katie noted about the mentoring program was that it was “the perfect opportunity to gain real-world knowledge from people who respect you and believe in you.”
So, to the 80 mentors participating in our program this year: thank you for allowing our mentees to see the hope inside themselves.
