Q Mentorship program gives student career direction and purpose
Alumnus Craig S. Paulson (left) mentored student Charles Lencioni through the Q Mentorship Program, which helped Charles find his purpose and career direction.
After serving in the U.S. Army for 8 years, Charles Lencioni decided to go back to school, choosing 黑料门to pursue his bachelor鈥檚 degree. But in that transition from the Army, he lost his sense of direction and purpose.
"I had a lot of soul searching and personal reflection to find something else that would be as fulfilling," said the junior accounting major. He ended up finding that fulfilment thanks to the Q Mentorship program.
鈥淭he Q Mentorship program was a great opportunity for me to rebuild myself, rebound, and reinvent myself after the Army,鈥� he says.
Connecting students and alums
The Q mentorship program matched Lencioni with Craig S. Paulson (BBA 鈥�17) a financial analyst at W.W. Grainger.
Lencioni says, 鈥淲hen I met with Craig, I was able to see what he did and how he enjoyed it. It gave me the direction and focus that I needed to start really digging into the business classes to find a major I enjoyed and could be proud of.鈥�
In addition to a sense of direction, he identified four other takeaways from his experience:
- The Q Mentorship program helps validate what students are doing and that it鈥檚 worth the effort.
- It gives students an experience into the corporate world.
- It gives students someone they can go to with questions about a specific industry.
- It builds confidence for job interviews.
According to Lencioni, the Q Mentorship program was a life-changing experience that he can鈥檛 recommend enough to other students.
Mentor as mentee
For Paulson, serving as a Quinlan mentor was a natural extension of his undergraduate days. At Loyola, he was constantly coming across social justice initiatives sponsored by student organizations and was challenged to think differently in his business, theology, and core curriculum courses.
He says, 鈥淚f I could help just one student find their path, or provide some guidance in some capacity, then Loyola鈥檚 mantra of being a 鈥淧erson for Others鈥� would be lived out, so I signed up.鈥�
His favorite moment during the mentorship program was listening to Lencioni reflect on his experiences as a mentee at a Quinlan event hosted by Dean Kevin Stevens.
鈥淚n some respects, he mentored me in return,鈥� says Paulson. 鈥淗e opened my eyes that mentorship can be at all different levels or stages in life, and his openness to share his story with me gave me the confidence to share my story with him in return.鈥�
Learn more
- Q Mentorship Program →
- Q Mentorship: Connecting Business Students and Alumni Mentors 鈫�
- Mentor profile: Jim Dempsey 鈫�