Foster MBA Mentor Update: Summer 2022
Hello Foster MBA Mentors!
Sally Jewell, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, former CEO of REI, and outgoing Foster Fritzky Fellow, with Colette Vogel, Foster Mentor Program Director
Thank you for mentoring our Foster MBAs. We have many incredibly successful mentors, and we are grateful to have a mentoring community here to help our students envision their future.
A lot has happened this past year! We integrated the topics of mentoring and sustainability and focused on ways to craft careers with impact. In addition, we expanded Mentoring Circles for MBAs of Color, piloted in the Winter Quarter last year, to a full year and included evening MBAs. The Mentoring Circles provide an important space for MBAs of color to discuss unique challenges and opportunities associated with career development with other professionals of color. Finally, our cadre of Spring Quarter mentors sprang into action to offer just-in-time mentoring for MBAs preparing for internships or full- time roles at their respective companies.
Hybrid Mentoring
We saw mentors meeting their mentees in person as well as online. This hybrid format proved highly successful with students and mentors. The mixed format allowed for personal connection (highly appreciated by the students) while the online format allowed for more frequent interaction when scheduling became difficult. We encourage the students to stay connected with you beyond Foster to provide updates on their work and life and to reach out when they need another perspective.
Washington State Senator Lisa Wellman
Mentor Anniversary Awards
We honor our mentors reaching anniversary milestones. Thank you for the energy and dedication you have shown our students consistently year over year.
Ten Year Mentors
Chris Dorr | Suzanne Keel-Eckman | Dennis Karlinsky
Fifteen Year Mentors
The Honorable Lisa Wellman
XJ Cai Full Time MBA with Dean Hodge
Herb Bridge Mentor Award Winners
We also announced our Herb Bridge Mentor Award winners. The award goes to a graduating student from the full-time and evening MBA programs who exemplifies mentoring as nominated by their peers (fellow classmates). We received hundreds of votes from students, a testament to mentorship as part of Foster’s culture.
Anthony Chang of Evening MBA with Dean Hodge
The Herb Bridge Mentor Award honors Herb Bridge’s legacy as a leader who inspired civic engagement in countless Foster MBA students. Later, Anthony shared with us this story.
“My dad saw the certificate and mentioned that he’d actually met Herb Bridge before! My dad is a gemologist and worked for Ben Bridge when he was younger. What a small world, and a fun coincidence! Dad’s words on Herb Bridge: He was a “kind gentleman,” which is the sense I’ve gotten for reading anything anywhere about him. What an honor to receive this award.”
Why Mentoring Could Be Your Superpower
Professor Kira Schabram presents
Professor Kira Schabram was invited to present her cutting-edge research on ways that mentoring benefits mentees while also contributing to the mentor’s well-being. Her research on impact and burnout has been covered in the media including the BBC, CNN, Forbes, the Financial Times, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
Goodbye to this year’s Fritzky Fellow and Mentor, Sally Jewell
Mentor Sally Jewell, CEO of REI, and John Sheppard, Foster Evening MBA Program alumnus and Director of REI Adventures and Outdoor School, share a laugh during a mentoring moment.
We were delighted to have Sally Jewell, former Secretary of the Interior under the Obama Administration and former CEO of REI, as a mentor to six MBA students. She championed our series on crafting careers for impact and inspired us all. We are deeply grateful for Sally’s commitment to the Mentor Program.
Thank you, Mentors!
– Colette Vogel, Mentor Program Director
