The Alumni Mentoring Programme is a key aspect of the Edinburgh Award for Effective and Responsible Leadership, reflecting the essence of the coaching culture within the Business School.
The Edinburgh Award empowers undergraduate honours students to take ownership of their development to become the person they want to be. By tailoring it to their needs, students develop leadership skills and abilities to succeed in their future and to make an impact in whatever they do—all while being mentored by one of our alumni.
- You can volunteer to be a mentor wherever you may be in the world as sessions can take place in-person or remotely.
- Share your experience: our alumni mentors represent a diverse range of career areas and sectors.
- Depending on your availability, you have the option to mentor up to three students.
- Where possible, alumni are matched to students based on the student's development goals, sectors of interest, and career aspirations.
Alumni perspective
We know from feedback that the student mentees gain a huge amount from the experience citing increased confidence, enhanced skills development, and securing employment to name just a few of the benefits, but it is also rewarding to hear just how much the alumni themselves gain personally from being a mentor.
Alejandra Dancuart (MSc 2020) from Peru was keen to offer her time to support current students.
“This was my first time participating in the Alumni Mentoring Programme and I had a very enriching experience. The conversations and sessions with my mentee were pivotal moments for both of us, as throughout the journey we learned so much from each other and generated different perspectives on certain topics.
“I am certainly keen to continue mentoring and promote the continuity of the programme, as it adds the human value into the academic experience at the Business School.”
Blakely Grimm (MSc 2018) from Houston, Texas, has been involved in the programme since it was first established and continues to gain from the experience year on year.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with exceptional mentees who have positively influenced my personal and professional growth. Our thoughtful and reflective conversations motivated me to deepen my knowledge and enhance my leadership abilities, contributing to my own growth.
“Additionally, witnessing my mentees' growth and success, both during and after the mentorship programme, has been truly fulfilling.”
Volunteer to be an alumni mentor
We recruit for Alumni Mentors for the forthcoming academic year each summer. If you would like to express interest or wish to know more about mentoring, please contact the Alumni Team at alumni@business-school.ed.ac.uk