Category: Mentorship

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Mentorship Office of Engaged Learning Student Academic Engagement & Success

Forging New Pathways: Tiffany Nguyen leads as the inaugural PBI PAL

Headshot of Tiffany Nguyen

Peer Academic Leaders (PALs) are vital at SMU, offering support to fellow students across campus. This year, Pathways to Business and Industry partnered with the program to create a dedicated PAL role for students exploring careers in business and industry. The inaugural PBI PAL, Tiffany Nguyen, is a sophomore majoring in Computer Science and Data Science with a minor in Cognitive Science. 

Tiffany’s academic path wasn’t straightforward. Initially planning to double major in business and computer science, she discovered her passions weren’t within a business major but within courses offered by the Lyle School of Engineering, which led her to focus on her major in computer science. Her computer science background is preparing her for a future in business and industry. “Computer Science at SMU gives me a balance of technical, leadership, and communication skills. Our faculty encourages group work, which you don’t always get at other universities,” she noted. 

As a THRIVE Scholar and Rotunda Scholar, Tiffany benefited from peer mentors who introduced her to opportunities like the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) She appreciates the flexibility of her BA in Computer Science, which allows her to take electives and pursue her minor in Cognitive Science. A psychology class she took for her minor was particularly impactful. 

Balancing her many roles, Tiffany emphasizes the importance of passion. “If you have a passion for something, you can balance it. It’s what keeps me going!”

For students exploring career options, Tiffany advises, “Don’t be afraid. If you want to go into business, go for it. I realized I could be a software engineer at a finance firm, combining the business and technical aspects I enjoy.”  

Tiffany’s enthusiasm and leadership shine through in her role as PBI PAL. She meets weekly with students, guiding them on academic and career paths while helping them discover their passions.

If you know students interested in business and industry, encourage them explore the PBI program and connect with Tiffany for mentorship and support.  

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Mentorship Office of Engaged Learning Student Academic Engagement & Success

An Unexpected Friendship: Walker and Bianey’s Journey with Mustang Mentors

Sometimes the connection you need is one you don’t go searching for – just ask SMU transfer students Walker Homan and Bianey Rojas. As members of the inaugural Mustang Mentors Peer Mentoring cohort, they’ve found in each other not only a peer mentor and mentee, but also a friend who has enriched their college experience.  

Walker, the peer mentor, and Bianey, the mentee, were first paired together in September 2024 through the Mustang Mentors’ matching survey, which pairs mentors and mentees together based on shared academic interests, hobbies, and backgrounds. Both transfer students majoring in Economics, Walker with a Math minor and Bianey with a double minor in Business and Spanish, the pair quickly found commonality in their academic experiences and transition to SMU. However, it is the different perspectives they each share with each other that makes their mentorship truly unique.  

Reflecting on her academic experiences, Bianey recalled how close-minded she felt towards math as a subject until she met Walker. “Walker will just do math for fun! Being mentored by him has shifted my mindset about math and he always encourages me to not give up in my classes,” says Bianey.  

Meanwhile Walker, who initially felt unqualified to be a mentor, says, “with it being only my second semester at SMU, mentorship to Bianey has given me another way to define myself. In the context of SMU, it’s given me another SMU identity. Yeah, I’m an Econ student, and I do undergraduate research, but I’m also a Mustang Mentor.”  

Bianey also describes how Mustang Mentors has deepened her sense of belonging at SMU. “I love SMU, but I thought being a transfer and commuter student would really make it different for me. Being a commuter, I just would come to campus just for class and then go back home, but through this mentorship program and the events, it has given me a reason to stay and meet other people in the program,” says Bianey.  

The two agreed that there is no way they would’ve met if not for Mustang Mentors. “This program connects you to people you otherwise wouldn’t have met. If you can be a peer mentor in Mustang Mentors, just do it. Especially if you’re a transfer student, it’s just nice to have one more friendly face on campus,” says Walker.  

The Mustang Mentors program goes beyond academics. Through shared insights and consistent encouragement, peer mentoring empowers students like Walker and Bianey to make the most of their SMU journey.  To learn more about Mustang Mentors, visit our website at smu.edu/mustangmentors.

 

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Mentorship Office of Engaged Learning Student Academic Engagement & Success

Celebrating the Inaugural Mustang Mentors Cohort Lunch

The Mustang Mentors peer-mentoring program, through the Office of Engaged Learning, had its first-ever cohort lunch, bringing together new mentors and mentees from across campus. The lunch served as an opportunity for mentors and mentees to build relationships with their peers in the program.

The inaugural cohort currently has 41 match pairs that represent a diverse range of academic disciplines, career interests, and involvements in extracurricular activities. The mentors, comprised of upperclassmen students who have been successful on the Hilltop, meet with their mentees at least once a month for goal setting in their collegiate career and to further peer-to-peer connection.

The Mustang Mentors Program is an essential, university wide retention tool for students at SMU who do not belong to an academic community or a larger group of affiliation. You can be a part of this campus wide effort as a faculty/staff member by nominating a student to serve as a mentor or be a mentee with this form. 

More updates to come as the Mustang Mentors program progresses, showcasing the stories of mentors and mentees who are making connections at SMU.