Mentorship at Beyond Barnard
Beyond Barnard facilitates a range of mentoring relationships among students, alums, parents, and friends of the College. Our objective is to build meaningful and transformational supportive networks that advance the diverse aspirations of Barnard students. There are several ways to get involved with mentoring programs at Beyond Barnard, but the guiding principle of these efforts is to facilitate meaningful connections in this extraordinary global community. Questions about how to get involved in Beyond Barnard mentorship initiatives? Email beyondbarnard@barnard.edu.
Mentoring Initiatives at Beyond Barnard
Launched in Fall 2019, Barnard Connect facilitates connections among Barnard students and alums for the purposes of establishing mentoring relationships. Now with more than 4,000 members, Barnard Connect allows members of the community to create profiles that feature information about their professional background, identity, interests, and more. Students and alums can reach out to one another directly on the basis of shared affinities. Barnard Connect participants receive regular updates about the platform, invitations to virtual events, and resources related to best practices for establishing mentoring relationships.
The Beyond Barnard Executive Mentorship Program connects a select cohort of Barnard College students with industry leaders. Over the course of the academic year, Executive Fellows are invited as a group of ~20 students to a series of sessions at top-tier businesses, government entities, and nonprofit organizations. Fellows have the opportunity to hear their personal stories, learn about diverse sectors and industries, and make valuable connections with leaders. This program is made possible by the philanthropic gift of Eugene Shvidler P'20. Students can learn about upcoming opportunities and apply to the program in Handshake.
Beyond Barnard invites alums back to campus (or to virtual conversations) to spend a day conducting informal, 30-minute advising and informational sessions with small groups of students. In these sessions, alumnae share their academic and career experiences, answer student questions about their field, and provide valuable advice as an industry insider. Students can learn about upcoming events in Handshake.
Launched in Fall 2022, the Barnard Ambassador Program connects alums at select companies and graduate schools to one another. Barnard has a strong presence at a wide variety of organizations. Now, when recent graduates are hired at select firms, or gain matriculation to graduate programs where Barnard is well-represented, they have an in-built network of individuals with whom to connect. Ambassadors also serve as organization representatives at panels and events throughout the year to share their experiences and advice with current students.
A part of the Barnard Connect platform, Beyond Mentoring is a chance for students to connect with alums, parents, and other friends of the College for short-term paid project-based work. This initiative, begun in Summer 2020 as a means of providing substantive work experiences for students during the COVID-19 pandemic, has grown since its inception and is supported by a philanthropic gift from Advisory Council Member Scott Roberts P'23. Projects will be posted on Barnard Connect in the "Projects" section in the months leading up to winter break and summer break