Through its Center for Career Design, Columbus State University is bridging the gap between current students and its successful graduates through its new “Cougar Career Connections” mentoring program. It’s designed to help students network and become more competitive within their chosen career fields as they benefit from invaluable real-world professional guidance from alumni.

The program, in partnership with Mentor Collective, creates one-on-one connections between students and alumni. Through a comprehensive online survey, alumni mentors and student mentees are matched based on a variety of factors—including academic interests, career aspirations, and shared hometowns and life experiences.

“Mentor Collective’s personalized approach ensures our student-alumni pairings are not just transactional, but are built on genuine affinity and shared understanding,” explained Patrick Keebler, the Center for Career Design’s director. “Once matched, alumni mentors and student mentees can communicate through the Mentor Collective platform via phone, video call or text with their preferred frequency and communication method—or in person when they prefer.”

Helping students create a blueprint for success

For students, especially those nearing graduation, Keebler said a mentor can be a game-changer. Being mentored by a successful graduate offers a unique perspective that classroom learning simply can’t provide. He said alumni mentors can boost a student’s confidence while offering practical career advice applicable to the student’s desired field —from navigating the job market and crafting a strong resume to preparing for interviews and understanding the day-to-day realities of a profession.

He said a key advantage of the Mentor Collective platform is that it relies on a matching algorithm centered around shared interests and backgrounds. A student from a small town can be matched with an alumnus who successfully transitioned from that same hometown to a big-city job, providing a relatable and actionable blueprint for their own journey.

Mentors can introduce students to other professionals in their network, opening doors to potential internships or job opportunities that might otherwise be inaccessible. This early start on building a professional network is a significant advantage for students as they prepare to enter the workforce.

Alumni ‘paying it forward’

For alumni, serving as a mentor is a unique and rewarding opportunity, according to Alexis Gray, assistant director of alumni and student engagement.

“Cougar Career Connections allows our alumni to ‘pay it forward’ by sharing their insights and the lessons they’ve learned since graduation,” she explained. “Alumni can help our soon-to-be-graduates build their own networks and open doors to their professional aspirations.”

Gray emphasized that the benefits are not one-sided. Through the mentoring experience, alumni reconnect or deepen their connection with their alma mater in a low-impact way while sharpening their own networking and leadership skills. Guiding a student through career decisions or professional challenges can be a powerful way to hone one’s own expertise. Alumni can also expand their own professional networks as they connect with fellow alumni mentors and the university’s faculty in their career fields.

Connecting through Mentor Collective

Separate online sign-up portals exist for prospective professional mentors and student mentees. While targeting alumni, Keebler stressed that mentors do not have to be Columbus State graduates. Any professional based in the area and committed to helping recent college graduates succeed in their careers is invited to volunteer through the Mentor Collective platform.

Cougar Career Connections is part of several initiatives that are reimagining career development for students at Columbus State. Last year, the university expanded its Center for Career Design with a team of International Coaching Federation-certified career coaches who provide personalized guidance to students throughout their academic journey. It is leveraging the Handshake online employment platform to connect students with employers—thereby offering students a robust system for internship, job and post-graduate career searches and placements.

Academically, Columbus State is strongly emphasizing experiential learning as a core component of its strategic plan, so every student gains real-world experience before graduation. Its new River core curriculum also integrates a focus on career competencies, ensuring that career readiness is woven into the foundational education of all first-year students.

For more information about Cougar Career Connections or other ways to engage with Columbus State students for employment and career opportunities, visit the Center for Career Design’s website.