Marquette University Alumni Association Mentor Newsletter April 2018 Celebrate and register now for April 26 MUAA Mentor Program Finale Since the Oct. 6 kick-off, mentors and mentees in this year's program have collaborated in many capacities, ranging from job shadowing and application  review to career discernment and mock interviews. Now it's time to celebrate on Thursday, April 26. Join fellow mentors, mentees, past participants, and faculty and staff at 707 Hub, the home of the Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship, a program participant. Register by April 19 for this annual favorite, which is made possible this year by mentor Eng ’87; JATCO USA, Inc; Franklin, Tenn. (Ethan Corr, engineering mentee). Mentee's idea nets significant social media exposure, results for Nashville Predators It was Game On when communication mentee Jamie Kutey shared a social media idea with mentor Bob Kohl, Comm ’89 and senior director of broadcasting and entertainment for the National Hockey League’s Nashville Predators. The idea? Fans were encouraged to tweet a photo displaying their Predators Easter Pride for a chance to win tickets to a Brad Paisley concert, with the winning entry also announced during the television broadcast of the team’s April 1 game on Easter Sunday. Bob embraced the promotion and connected Jamie with his marketing colleagues to develop the many steps required for execution. It was considered a big success, netting many photo submissions with visibility in more than 25,000 households and 8,000 streamers who viewed the game broadcast. “The opportunity to work with Bob and the Nashville Predators marketing team made me feel like I can play an integral part in projects like this in my career after Marquette,” Jamie says. “He made me feel like my ideas were appreciated and really wants to help me succeed in life and with my career.”   The answer man: Mentor’s science expertise is especially helpful for mentee Mentors and mentees regularly share the many benefits through their participation in the MUAA Mentor Program. Arts. Arts mentee Jake Reilly and mentor Henry Kwan, Arts ’71, are no exception. Jake believes the benefits of working with Henry, principal of Kwan Consulting LLC in Summit, N.J., have been significant. “He’s been particularly helpful with my decisions in terms of research opportunities and general career advice,” Jake says. “I'm pretty much the only one in my family who decided to go into the sciences, so it's been nice to have someone to talk to about my career interests.”   Henry's found working with Jake to be rewarding, too. “I feel like I’m youthful and back on campus again,” he says. “I also believe Jake's the most committed and enthusiastic sophomore in scientific research.” Along with their phone communication during the year, they’ve met in person during Henry’s campus visits and will reconnect at the April 26 mentor program finale. Shadow visit offers behind-the-scenes look at wastewater treatment plant Thanks to mentor Brittany Hess, Eng ’08 and senior project manager at Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, engineering mentee Juliette Stroesser’s recent shadow visit proved to be especially valuable to better understand Brittany’s daily responsibilities. “The visit went well and included a tour of the dewatering and drying facility, which is unique to MMSD,” Juliette says. “It was amazing to see how the wastewater treatment process works, and meeting with Brittany really helped me to better understand what I have learned in class!” Partnership greatly benefits graduate school mentee and entrepreneur Attending a conference in the San Francisco area in March also meant a chance for graduate school mentee Paige Peters to personally thank and meet mentor Scott Van De Velde, Bus Ad ’91, at 12 Digit Marketing in Redwood City, Calif. “Scott has been instrumental in helping me digest the information I've gathered during my participation in National Science Foundation's Innovation Corps (I-Corps) customer discovery program,” Paige says. “In addition, he's offered great insights in building and managing a team, drafting consultant contracts, and even encouraging me to incorporate a work-life balance into my entrepreneurial Ph.D. world.” The pitch: Mentee gets behind-the-scenes look at game broadcast from mentor Communicaiton mentee Nathan DeSutter has learned immensely this year from mentor Len Kasper, Comm ’93 and TV play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Cubs. So when the Cubs visited Milwaukee to play the Brewers earlier this month, Len invited Nathan to shadow him during a game broadcast. “Shadowing Len gave me the opportunity to see the intricacies and behind-the-scenes elements of a professional broadcast and learn how he prepares for and analyzes the game in real time,” Nathan says. “Nathan has done an excellent job all year, so shadowing during a game complements everything we've done the past six months,” Len says. Webcast featuring MUAA Mentor Program attracts nearly 150 colleges The MUAA Mentor Program was featured earlier this month via webcast by Academic Impressions, which serves colleges and universities through conferences; webcasts; publications; and membership. The one-hour session attracted nearly 150 universities in the United States and Canada, including Dartmouth College; New York University; Northwestern University; University of Chicago; University of Michigan; University of Pennsylvania; and University of Southern California. “The Marquette program continues to draw national interest and is a testament to the commitment of our alumni mentors, student mentees, faculty and campus partners,” says Marquette University Engagement Director Dan DeWeerdt. “In five years, the program has expanded more than 250 percent to serve more students in preparation for their career journey following Marquette.” Future Marquette mentor program presentations and collaborations include the June Higher Education Roundtable co-hosted by Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh. Marquette is represented in the planning committee with University of Notre Dame, Wake Forest University, Carnegie Mellon and Pitt for this annual gathering of approximately 25 universities nationwide. Five Questions With…. Liz, Arts '03, and Nelson, H Sci '04, Lang (Saul Lopez, arts mentee) 1. Why are you and Liz serving in the MUAA Mentor Program? We wanted to participate for two reasons. First, we loved our time at Marquette and connecting with students would remind us of our experience. Second, maybe sharing the struggles we encountered to discover our career path after graduating would be helpful to others. 2. What’s your favorite Marquette memory?   Our wedding!!! It was the day after the last final, and the weekend before graduation.  3. What should a Marquette student should do before they graduate? Be a Marquette Basketball Fanatic!! 4. Something you wish you would’ve done differently at Marquette to help prepare for your career?   Taken more business management and accounting courses. 5. My first job after graduating from Marquette was….  Liz: nurse in Richmond, Va.. Nelson: lab tech at Sleep Disorders of Virginia. Liz Lang, Arts ’03, serves as administrator and Nelson Lang, H Sci ’04, is general manager at El Rey Family Market in Milwaukee. This is their first year serving in the MUAA Mentor Program.   In the News Congratulations to these mentor program participants for their recent achievements. DJ Denson, engineering mentee, is one of 30 student-athletes selected nationwide to participate in the NCAA Diversity & Inclusion Forum this month. (Mentor Mike Eichten, Eng ’92, AECOM; Chicago)     Nichole Fernandez-Jurado, communication mentee, will serve as an educational leadership consultant at Alpha Xi Delta, based in Indianapolis, Ind. (Mentor Tim Blair, Arts ’91, Navigant; Denver)     John Hand, communication mentee, is a contributor for OnMilwaukee.com, including writing articles and hosting “Brew City Conversations,” a podcast interview highlighting individuals with Milwaukee connections. (Steve Rushin, Comm ’88, author and Sports Illustrated; Hartford, Conn.)     Elise Jaffee, communication mentee, has been hired as a corporate trainee at Quad/Graphics, headquartered in Sussex, Wis. (Mentor Kelly Kauffman, Arts ’97, Milwaukee Bucks; Milwaukee)      Katelin Krenzke, graduate school mentee, has been hired as a product specialist at Brady Corporation in Milwaukee. (Michael Yang, Grad ’91, Integra Lifesciences; Plainsboro, N.J.)     Kathryn McCarthy, communication mentee, will be serving as the marketing/special events summer intern for the Hinsdale (Ill.) Humane Society. (Mentor Chris Devine, Comm ’94, Cisco Systems; Southfield, Mich.)     Nic Schmidt, engineering student and MUAA Mentor Program Mentee Alumni Network member, will be attending law school at the University of Minnesota this fall (Mentor Joe Miotke, Eng ’95, Law ’99, DeWitt  Ross & Stevens S.C.; Brookfield, Wis.)   John Steppe, communication student and MUAA Mentor Program Mentee Alumni Network member, has been named executive sports editor for the Marquette Wire. (Mentor Steve Rushin, Jour ’88, author and Sports Illustrated; Hartford, Conn.)       If you have a new job, received a promotion, award or volunteered recently, share it with fellow mentors and mentees In the News. Email it with a headshot to daniel.deweerdt@marquette.edu. MUAA Mentor Program Toolbox offers relevant mentor, career resources From mentor and mentee broad-based questions to timely and trending mentor and professional development articles, visit the MUAA Mentor Program Toolbox. This month's featured resource: 40 questions to ask your mentor, Forbes Mentor program questions or comments? Contact MUAA Mentor Program Director Dan DeWeerdt at daniel.deweerdt@marquette.edu or (414) 288-4740.