Q Mentorship program builds critical professional skills
Sigmund and Lewis continue to meet monthly via Zoom even after the end of their official mentor/mentee relationship through the Q Mentorship program.
Kyle Sigmund (MSF 鈥�10) felt called to share his time and perspective with Quinlan students and found the right conduit in the Q Mentorship program.
鈥淭hinking back to my undergraduate days, I struggled during the 2008 recession and had a hard time trying to find a job,鈥� says Sigmund. 鈥淚t would have been so helpful to have someone to ask questions and bounce ideas off, and it鈥檚 rewarding to be able to be that person for someone else."
The program connected Sigmund with Frayne Lewis (BBA 鈥�22), who secured a paid summer internship thanks to the skills and work ethic cultivated through their mentorship.
Connecting students with business professionals
A supplement to the BSAD 220 Career Preparation course, the Q Mentorship program seeks to pair students with a business professional who complements students鈥� career goals and aspirations. Initially, Lewis was skeptical of how much he would get out of the experience.
鈥淚 was worried it would be awkward, especially since it would all be over Zoom,鈥� he says. 鈥淎s soon as I connected with Kyle, I was excited about the program! It鈥檚 great to hear from someone outside of the classroom who has business experience and can give that other perspective.鈥�
Sigmund and Lewis met monthly via Zoom to set goals and plans to grow over the next month. For Lewis, this created an opportunity to ask questions and learn from real-world experiences.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge relief to have someone I can talk to other than my professors to get a real-world perspective,鈥� says Lewis. 鈥淚 had all of these questions I wanted to ask and didn鈥檛 always feel confident asking them in class. Now I have someone who is always there to help and give me advice and answer all of the questions that I didn鈥檛 necessarily have to a chance to ask in my classes.鈥�
Starting from the basics
Before the Career Preparation course and the Q Mentorship program, Lewis didn鈥檛 have a strong resume or career plan. Sigmund spent time helping Lewis build a strong foundation for an internship search.
鈥淜yle had me put together an Excel internship log and kept me accountable for applying to 10 internships per week,鈥� says Lewis. 鈥淚t felt like a lot, but it all paid off. Opening the email and reading 鈥楥ongratulations, you鈥檝e been accepted!鈥� was a huge weight off my shoulders. I texted Kyle as soon as I found out. I couldn鈥檛 wait to tell him.鈥�
With help and guidance from Sigmund and the tools he learned in class, Lewis had secured a paid internship in summer 2021 with Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based investment firm.
Hard work paid off
Sigmund is thrilled that Lewis met his goal for a summer internship and has grown professionally.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been very rewarding to see Frayne鈥檚 progress since we first started meeting,鈥� says Sigmund. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting and rewarding to not just volunteer my time to make a little step in the right direction, but to dive deep and build a lasting connection to make an impact on someone.鈥�
For Lewis, the Q Mentorship program has given him a path forward.
鈥淚 finally feel like I have a strong understanding of business and what I want to do,鈥� says Lewis. 鈥淚 feel confident speaking professionally, writing business emails, and I have a good resume and cover letter.鈥�
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