I am beyond grateful and thankful that the Pesce Family Mentoring Institute put Kathy Capozzi into my life. Not only has Kathy been a role model for me within the working world, but she has also helped me grow as an individual. Kathy and I were matched Fall of 2015 and since then she has helped me with internship applications and creating goals for the future. I was fortunate enough for Kathy to offer to show me around her office, at Ralph Lauren, one day last fall. Exploring all the different departments, networking with her colleagues, and entering the world of fashion design; it was a day I will never forget. My plans for post-undergraduate life and the career path that I am on is all thanks to Kathy. -Megan Baird, Senior, Mathematics Major and Business Administration Minor Participating in this program has been emotionally fulfilling in more ways than one. I knew firsthand the uncertainty of going into my final years of schooling and wondering what my next steps would be. I had only wished that this program was in place when I was attending WPUNJ. Lucky for me, Megan has been such an exceptional young lady. We talk and text every month, sometimes even catch up over dinner. I am assisting Megan with creating her resume, searching for an internship and providing overall guidance as she enters the "adult" world. I set this relationship up so that there is no set cadence as to how often we meet; I would rather she be able to reach out to me whenever she needs to! This experience has been amazing and I would recommend all of my fellow WPUNJ graduates to participate! -Kathy Capozzi, Manager of Strategic Procurement, Brooks Brothers, WPUNJ Alum '03 “I am very grateful and fortunate to have Professor Baron as my mentor. One cannot ask for anyone better! Our meetings have not only helped me to articulate my accomplishments on paper, but have also given me a newfound confidence that will undoubtedly serve me well in all of my future pursuits.” -Monika Chung, Senior, Biology Major, Mentee It doesn't get more rewarding than this! Monika and I have been working together, learning from each other and collaborating for Monika's benefit since being matched in early 2015. Our association has blossomed into an open, honest, familiar, comfortable, and peaceful learning opportunity for both of us. We are working hard and accomplishing much in our one hour, twice a month meetings. We have worked together to create a robust, accomplishments driven resume, a personal professional statement, applications and ultimately acceptance into a prestigious summer internship at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). On the soft skill side, I'm observing a young woman who is now empowered to advocate for herself, approach her achievements with pride and her decisions and dilemmas with humor. We are a perfect match and have decided that we are matched for life! I have a background in science, medicine, pharmaceuticals, business, higher education and coaching and I am dedicated to the growth and development of next generation talent. Monika, a 2016 NJ Governor’s STEM scholar, represents the best of the next generation. She is currently working towards a B.S. in biotechnology and plans to graduate in May 2017. She is motivated, caring, articulate, thoughtful, adventurous, and curious. Helping her move forward with all those hard-wired attributes is a pleasure and a privilege. It's thrilling to guide her toward articulating her short, medium and long term goals and plans.” -Annette Baron, President, Eagle Research & Adjunct Professor, WPUNJ Morgan Taylor, a junior working towards her Bachelor of Fine Arts at WP, who is developing a strong background in design, signed up for the Pesce Family Mentoring Institute at the start of the 2015 fall semester. She was paired with her mentor, Jane Garnes, who is a WP MA ’83 graduate, artist, and educator. The way this duo works together as mentor and mentee differs from many mentees and mentors from other disciplines. When they meet they discuss the ground level guts and process of their art works and development of art ideas. They draw or sketch together and talk about their styles and attitudes toward art and their talents. Via email Morgan shares some of her designs and ideas with Jane who offers observations and critiques. Morgan has painted murals for businesses in her hometown. Her designs have been entered in several competitions. This year Jane encouraged her to try a Kimono design competition in Paris in which she also competed. Morgan aspires to have a career that will enable her art to flourish either in the fields of illustration or concept art. Jane is a professional photographer, designs, and writes books, and was a high school art teacher whose careers enabled her ideas to be nurtured. The Pesce Family Mentoring Institute enables these two women of different generations to come together to discuss a wide range of topics under which art falls. It is an opportunity that both deeply appreciate and plan to continue for Morgan’s undergraduate career. They show a great deal of respect for one another and are grateful for the presence of this program that enables them to communicate using their creative minds and skills. They strongly encourage WP students and alumni in any discipline to sign up for the Pesce Family Mentoring Institute to communicate and share fervent interests in their careers. They feel that the mentoring relationship, and the pertinent seminars that the program offers, all help the students develop into dynamic members of their chosen professions. “The Pesce Family Mentoring Institute has significantly enriched my college experience. My mentor has always thoughtfully answered my career questions, provided valuable advice concerning my future career, and supported me throughout my professional growth and development.” - Gabriela Salvador '16, Mentee “Mentoring is the act of being there, providing relevant and timely insight during a period of great confusion and insecurity. Paths are changed or taken when given such advice, and therefore, lives are improved.” -Brian Campbell, Vice President of Investor Relations “I believe the Pesce Family Mentoring Institute program is one of the best ways to get hands on experience in your career field. The program allowed me to gain behind the scenes information on how the marketing industry works.” -Kwame Gambrah ’16, Mentee “The Pesce Family Mentoring Institute was phenomenal. It's not often that you have the ability to build a serious support system for your career this early in the game.” -Jared Helenic '16, Mentee “Being involved as a mentor in The Pesce Family Mentoring Institute has been a wonderful experience. It has allowed me to engage with students dedicated to broadening their horizons, and learn from more experienced mentors who are committed to helping them grow. It is a great way for those of us with realworld experiences to share them. We also learn from our mentees, which helps us broaden our horizons! This is a wonderful program and opportunity for all involved.” -Russ Gasdia, Founder/CEO Russell Alexander Advisors, LLC
