The undergraduate experience comes with many exciting, yet daunting moments. From getting into one’s major to making plans for life after college, there are plenty of situations where students may be looking for advice. Economics undergraduate students have the unique opportunity to participate in our mentorship program, where they are matched with professionals from across the Seattle community and country based on their interests to discuss post-graduate paths, networking tips, and other topics for success in college and beyond.
Economics undergraduate and mentee Kathryn Ackman described the culture of support from Economics mentors and how participating in the program has been a reassuring experience for her. “It’s nice to know you have support as a student...it’s things like this that make me think ‘okay, I’m going to be fine.’”
Many of our mentors are UW Economics alumni, including A.P.D.G. Everett, who has been involved with the program for almost seven years. He was drawn to the mentorship program because of his experience at UW and the unique professional path he has taken that has resulted in his current position working at the United States Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. He described himself as a “non-traditional economics student” as a double-major in Economics and Applied Mathematics who went on to work as a software engineer. He, like many others, draws from the highs and lows of his experiences to help guide his mentees. “I want them to learn from what I got right and what I got wrong.”
Kathryn echoed many of Everett’s sentiments when asked about the guidance she has received during her time as a mentee. “It’s nice to be able to talk to people who know the field that you are interested in so that they can tell you what it is like...everyone has been really accommodating and wants to help UW students do well.”
Despite being on the opposite side of the country, Everett is still able to serve as a mentor by utilizing Zoom to meet with his mentee. We were able to keep our mentorship program running throughout the pandemic with the help of video conferencing. With the return of students to in-person classes, some mentors have chosen to resume in-person meetings with their mentees, whereas others remain meeting virtually. The nature of our mentorship program allows people to become mentors from wherever they are located and create a meeting format with their mentee that works best for both.
Serving as a mentor is a rewarding way to get involved with the Economics department and positively shape the experience of our undergraduates. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact one of the mentorship program chairs: Olga Yang, Jordan Louie, or Dimitri Perera.