At first, Femi Alabi (B.S. ’24) wasn’t sure what he had to offer as a mentor. Even though he had recently graduated from the VCU School of Business, he was only 23 and not far removed from the internship searches, student organizations and early career questions students were bringing to the BUSN 201 mentoring sessions.
But when Alabi heard students ask how he found opportunities at VCU and how those experiences belonged on a resume, he realized his path could help them make sense of their own.
“It just feels so weird to be somebody’s mentor at 23,” said Alabi, now an associate financial analyst at Dominion Energy. “What do I really know? But I feel like what I can truly share is my own student experience and see if they can learn anything from it.”
This spring, Alabi mentored students through BUSN 201: Foundations of Business, where group mentoring gave students access to alumni and professionals who could talk about work, leadership and the early stages of a career.
“I tried very, very hard to land my first internships, my first job,” said Alabi. “And I wanted to remind [students] not to give up. There’s a lot stacked against us these days, and I wanted to show them, as somebody who went through it, that they can too.”
The mentoring experience brought students and their mentors together virtually three times during the semester before an in-person mixer. The sessions covered professionalism and communication to teamwork and hard conversations, then to leadership and management.
The sessions also were a chance to share personal stories and advice about what makes professional relationships work, especially for students who may be engaging with a mentor for the first time.
For some students, the conversations helped make networking feel less intimidating. For others, they offered a wider view of business, career paths and the many people who can offer guidance along the way.
The format was designed to be supportive and low-pressure. Mentors guided the conversations, encouraged students to participate and shared their own experiences, giving students room to ask about communication, professionalism and career paths before those questions became more urgent.
Alyssa Edwards (B.S. ’15), co-founder of The Conscious Table, joined the program as a mentor after reading about its purpose and the opportunity to give students a closer view of life after college.
“I read about the intention behind it and having the opportunity to build courage with the students and give them a real-life view,” said Edwards. “It’s not that scary out here. We were all in the exact same position.”
Emmanuel Bioh (B.S. ’29), a first-year finance major, entered the mentoring experience with some hesitation.
“It definitely helped me a lot when it came down to communication, networking and talking to people as a whole,” said Bioh, “because I’m very much closed off when it comes to certain things, but it actually put me out there a little bit.”
Kyrie Rayburn (B.S. ’29), a marketing major and first-generation college student, expected mentorship to mean one person who could open opportunities to help her see a new path. Instead, she said, the experience showed her that guidance could come from a wider community.
“I guess my viewpoint changed that you don’t necessarily need to have one,” said Rayburn. “It’s nice to have one mentor but also knowing there’s a whole community of people that can help provide opportunities or insights is a lot better.”
The guidance students receive can sometimes change how they think about the path ahead.
“I definitely feel more prepared for things like interviews,” said Rayburn. “Even if I don’t always get what I’m going for, like say I fail an interview or an opportunity, I know that there’s so many more opportunities.”
For mentors, the experience can be just as revealing. Alabi said his mentees reminded him that students are often balancing school, work and activities. Even a small student organization, he said, can give students a chance to lead others and show employers what they have taken on outside the classroom.
“Even though you might see it as a club, just the fact that you’re in an executive position and you have to lead others speaks volumes on a resume,” said Alabi.
Edwards said the conversations gave her a clearer sense of what students were already thinking about. She was struck by how much ambition they brought to the sessions, and by the seriousness with which they talked about leadership.
“They were able to really bring real-life examples and express what kind of leadership would feel good to them in real life and what kind of leadership they would stay away from,” said Edwards. “It was really beautiful to see young men and women at this age so intellectual and with depth.”
The simple act of sharing experience can be powerful, especially for students still learning how to bring their own voice into professional spaces. By the final session, Edwards was already thinking about how to stay connected with students after the program ended.
“There is an opportunity to continue to help young voices shine and to help build courage in a really meaningful way, in a way that feels aligned to who [students] are,” said Edwards. “Not making introverts extroverts or extroverts something else but helping them find their own version of courage and their own voice.”
Mentor registration is currently open. If you’re an alumnus or professional interested in helping students grow in confidence and career readiness, you can learn more and sign up at business.vcu.edu/mentoring.