Young Alumnae Make Connections on Meredith Mentors

Meredith Mentors launched in 2019 and there are currently nearly 2,000 alumnae, alumni, students, faculty, and staff utilizing the online platform. Once a profile is created, users are able to connect with others in the Meredith community for career and graduate school advice, internships or job shadowing opportunities, short-term and long-term mentorship, life after Meredith, and much more. This year, being connected is more important than ever. Meredith Mentors allows students to learn from alumnae in careers they are considering, and alumnae can help guide them on their career path. The platform also allows alumnae to network with each other and reconnect with classmates.

Brooke Newton, ’21, and Anna Jongkind, ’17, connected on Meredith Mentors this past year because they have the same major. That similarity has provided meaningful advice and ideas for both of them.

Newton is a social work major from Bullock, N.C., and Jongkind graduated with a degree in social work and earned her Master’s in Social Work at NC State University. She currently works at House of Hope of North Carolina in Clayton, N.C.

“I have made a few connections with Meredith alumnae inquiring about their path after graduating,” said Newton. “I connected with Anna to ask about her journey into graduate school and after, and to see what my future may look like after graduating and starting graduate school or a job.”

Students’ gaining insight from alumnae is important to guide them to a career they will enjoy for years to come.

“It was great to connect with Brooke since she is interested in what the path to graduate school looked like for me,” said Jongkind. “I think it is really special to connect with people who have similar passions.”

Newton joined Meredith Mentors to network with professionals within her major as well as to gain guidance and advice about career and graduate school paths from varying perspectives.

“When using this platform, I have the chance to connect with people who have graduated from Meredith, see where they went after they left, and consider all the different areas a person with similar interests can work,” said Newton.

As a student, Jongkind admits she had a lot of questions about social work and career opportunities within the field. “I would have loved to connect with someone who was practicing,” said Jongkind. “I like connecting with other passionate people and seeing how Meredith graduates are using their skills in the community.”

Through Meredith Mentors, Newton has learned that volunteering and internships are very important factors when applying to a Master of Social Work program. “After seeing other social work majors on the platform, I have discovered that my major can lead to many different career options, and I am excited to see where it takes me.”

Have you signed up for Meredith Mentors? The connections are endless, and you can help set a student on the right path as well as network with others within your field of work or areas of interest. Meredith Mentors allows you to harness the strength of this network to support your personal and professional growth. Sign up and connect by visiting mentors.meredith.edu.

For the last two years, the Parents Project has funded the Meredith Mentors program in Alumnae Relations. The Parents Council and others have raised $130,029 toward this project. If you are interested in joining the Parents Council, visit meredith.edu/support/the-parents-council.