{"id":1142,"date":"2023-12-14T13:46:18","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T18:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transy.edu\/third-and-broadway\/?p=1142"},"modified":"2023-12-15T11:35:16","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T16:35:16","slug":"cape-mentorship-program-opens-doors-for-transylvania-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transy.edu\/third-and-broadway\/december-2023\/cape-mentorship-program-opens-doors-for-transylvania-students\/","title":{"rendered":"CAPE mentorship program opens doors for Transylvania students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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CAPE mentorship program opens doors for Transylvania students<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

by Alexandria Lopez<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The college years are a time for learning and growing \u2014 both in and out of the classroom. Transylvania\u2019s Center for Academic and Professional Enrichment<\/a>, better known on campus as the CAPE office, works to ensure that Transylvania students are ready to join an ever-shifting workforce by connecting them with alumni and internship opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Established in 2017 as a reorganization of academic student services, the CAPE office comprises several forms of experiential learning, including global and intercultural engagement <\/a>(previously known as study abroad), career development<\/a> and 100 Doors to Success <\/a>\u2014 a program unique to Transylvania that pairs current students with successful alumni to foster professional mentor\/mentee relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paving the way for professional Pioneers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

100 Doors to Success was launched as a pilot program in the spring of 2015. By that fall, it was ready for a full roll out \u2014 and it\u2019s been popular ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kaitlyn Maes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNearly a third of Transy students have a mentor at any given time,\u201d said Tracy Dunn \u201990, assistant dean for academic affairs. \u201cBy the time they graduate, nearly half of Transy students have had a mentor at some point in their career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaitlyn Maes is one of the students currently taking advantage of alumni mentorship through 100 Doors \u2014 and her mentor connected her to a paid internship with the Council of State Governments<\/a>, a nonprofit organization nationally headquartered in Lexington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 100 Doors program was \u201cone of the reasons I picked Transy,\u201d Maes said. \u201cMentorship was already built into the system.\u201d A student worker in the CAPE office, Maes is being mentored by Sheri Beckett \u201990. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a math and computer science double major who hopes to one day work in central intelligence for the CIA, Maes appreciates Beckett\u2019s experience as a former computer science major at Transy. \u201cShe understands where I am in the process and has been a great help to me,\u201d Maes said, adding that Beckett has been an excellent sounding board as Maes applies for the SMART scholarship-for-service program, an initiative of the Department of Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(The 100 Doors program) was one of the reasons I picked Transy. Mentorship was already built into the system.<\/p>Kaitlyn Maes, student<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addition to lunches at Tempur Sealy International, where Beckett is director of informational technology, Beckett also provided a bridge between Maes and Tina Zeff, executive lead for strategic partnerships and impact investment at the Council of State Governments, and Maes\u2019 internship supervisor. When Zeff was seeking to hire a paid intern, Beckett, who is friends with Zeff, suggested that Maes apply and helped her funnel her application through the proper channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maes secured the role as a business intelligence fellow interning with CSG\u2019s advancement and development team, where she researches, collects and analyzes data \u2014 making good use of the skills she\u2019s developed through her liberal arts education at Transy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the youngest intern ever hired at CSG, Maes appreciates the confidence she\u2019s built through this position. \u201cIf I do something that my supervisors appreciate or haven\u2019t seen before, they will comment on it,\u201d she said. And her work has made a good impression \u2014 while Maes\u2019 internship was initially intended to span 10 months, Zeff intends to extend her position by an additional year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maes also values the opportunity to do research-based work. \u201cIt gets my toes in the water of what I want to do,\u201d she said, adding, \u201cEven if it\u2019s not the exact same thing, it\u2019s the same concept. Knowing what I like is good before I decide what career path I want to go down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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