Dear Esteemed Alumni Mentors,

Thank you for signing up to be an alumni mentor. By accepting your student mentees, you have chosen to embark on an exciting year of mentorship. This letter has next steps for you and some information for you to consider as you begin your communication with your student.

As a participant of the Alumni Mentor Program, you are agreeing to abide by the tenets of the True Bruin values (integrity, excellence, accountability and respect) and the Principles of Community. If you are reported to not be abiding by these principles, you will be removed from the program.

Below are next steps for you as you begin your mentorship.

1. Fill out this Program Pre-Survey.
2. As part of the Alumni Mentor Program, you are committing to connecting with your mentee at least once a month, until June 2021.
3. If you have not done so already, connect on UCLA ONE with your mentee to schedule a time to meet for an hour.
4. We’ve asked your student to prepare topics for your first conversation, but please take a look at the Mentorship Agreement. You can use this as a framework for your first conversation to discuss how you both would like to move forward.
5. As COVID-19 orders are in place, we ask that you keep your mentorship in a virtual setting until it is safe to meet in person. There is no expectation that you should meet in person during this time.
6. As you connect with your mentee(s), this is a critical time to determine if you are indeed a good fit. Be honest in your availability and expertise, and if there is not an alignment, be honest with what you are able to provide. If it doesn’t seem to be a match, you are able to discontinue the mentorship on UCLA ONE. However, if you feel there is something there to grow on, open yourself up to the opportunity to grow with your student.
7. Take a moment to watch the Mentor Program Undergraduate Student Kick-off video from the fall and review the Making the Most of Your Mentorship worksheet. Be sure to join the Alumni Mentor Resource Group on UCLA ONE for resources and insights from other mentors.

While this is just the beginning of a long-term endeavor, there will be situations where the mentorship feels stagnated. Do not hesitate to reach out to our staff if you find that you need assistance in reaching your student or working through an obstacle. We will be providing monthly e-newsletters with resources and mentorship ideas, and are available if you need to discuss an issue. We encourage you to be honest if things aren’t going as you thought and to find compromise as you move forward. If a student is truly not a fit, you can cancel the mentorship on UCLA ONE and work with a different student. Feel free to reach out to our team at alumnimentor@alumni.ucla.edu.

Thank you again for your willingness to serve our UCLA community in this way. Your insights will make an indelible impact on your mentee.

Go Bruins!

The Alumni Mentor Program Staff (Gloria Ko and Joseph Blancas)

Principles of Community
Program Pre-Survey
Mentor Program Undergraduate Student Kick-off Video
Mentorship Agreement
Making the Most of Your Mentorship