The Aztec Mentor Program kicked off this year’s matching on Sept. 25 at the Tula Community Center with a mixer for students to meet available mentors. 

The program’s mission is to connect current students with SDSU alumni and professionals to provide them with career guidance. Students who are interested in the program can match with a mentor at any point during the semester.

At the kickoff, a few mentors spoke with a room of eager students and voiced the importance of having someone to guide college students. 

The kickoff was designed for mentees to sit down and formally meet the mentors after hearing from fellow speakers. 

Paige Diggs, SDSU’s associate athletic director, explained how, “Mentorship is such a vital part of the college experience.” 

Diggs is a mentor herself and explained that while mentors don’t have to last your whole life, they are necessary in each step of one’s journey. 

Ramona Valdez and Aksum Turner are the co-leaders of the program. They both manage AMP events and mentor matching. 

“Our goal in general is to help students become career-ready, so that when they graduate, they have the skills that they need to embark on successful careers. A part of that is learning how to network,” Valdez said,

The program currently has approximately 300 active mentors, according to Valdez.

Valdez also said that she believes a mentor is important for bridging the transition from being a college student to working full-time post-graduation. 

“You can talk to people who have been in your shoes and have gone on to have successful careers,” she said. 

Ron Brillantes, a mentor at the kickoff, works in technology and aims to coach and empower a variety of students. 

“I think what’s key for a lot of students is [that] they get the opportunity while they’re here to learn the life skills,” he said. He emphasized the importance of learning “communication and collaboration” in a professional environment.

Like many other mentors in the program, Brillantes does not just coach students interested in finance but also those across all majors who reach out to him for guidance. 

“My role as a leader is to lead them and grow them to be leaders in themselves,” Brillantes added.

He coaches mentees in areas of career development such as what to expect after graduation, how to prepare for a job interview and other experiences that come with working every day. 

Zachary Almaraz, a senior majoring in business finance, said he is looking for “valuable connections that will be able to boost my confidence when it comes to interviews, connect me with other people, or give me some insight into the industry, as well as being in leadership themselves.” 

Students interested in finding a mentor can do so through Aztec Network. Students can register for AMP’s upcoming event, Mentoring 101, on Oct. 9 and Oct. 21 through Handshake.