Consortium Fellows Emphasize the Importance of Mentorship for New Students
Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business is committed to fostering a diverse community, which is why its partnership with the Consortium for Graduate Study of Management is integral in supporting the increase of underrepresented minorities in the school and fostering a community that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
Consortium Fellows enrolled in the MBA program at Georgetown McDonough benefit from a mentorship program offered through the Consortium, where second-year students serve as a resource for first-year MBAs to help them acclimate to the Georgetown environment. The mentorship program provides a space to help first-year students navigate classes, extracurriculars, and their careers.
“Mentorship is a relationship that contributes to learning, development, high engagement, and discovery of new opportunities,” said Serafina Smith, director of admissions, diversity, and partnerships. “The relationship is mutual in interest, provides a safe space for growth and personal connections, and embodies our commitment to service for others and our way of life at Georgetown.”
Second-year Consortium Fellows support first-year Consortium members and fellows through the Orientation Program experience and eventually their first year of the MBA program. Students form lasting relationships and gain invaluable opportunities and experiences through the advice and perspectives of their mentors.
“As a mentee, I can openly share my personal goals as well as any related challenges with my mentor,” said mentee Alexis Cohen (MBA’23). “In turn, my mentor has reflected on my objectives and with her personal advice, she has offered guidance that has enriched my academics and advanced my professional development, especially my internship search.”
Mentors offer motivation and accountability to the students they advise and their lived experiences alone provide the mentee with a roadmap of personal and academic successes and struggles that can be avoided or leveraged for growth.
“Many URM first years often feel alone in the challenges they face and mentorship can help students to understand that many of the things that they are experiencing have been navigated before and that not only are they not alone. There are so many resources that exist to help us navigate this journey,” said mentor Lauren Jordan (MBA’ 22).
The Consortium for Graduate Study of Management is an alliance of the world’s leading graduate business schools and organizations that aims to connect people, institutions, and companies and position them for success by fostering a network of the country’s best students, leading MBA programs, and corporate partners. The Consortium works to enhance diversity and inclusion in global business education and leadership by reducing the underrepresentation of minority populations in both the member schools’ enrollments and the ranks of global management across for-profit corporations, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and entrepreneurial ventures.
“The Consortium Mentorship Program has one message and it can be tied back to our University’s Jesuit identity and values of community in diversity, people for others, and cura personalis,” said Smith. “We want all students to feel and be supported and the support and care extends beyond the peer mentorship relationship.”