Engineering and Computer Science Students and Alumni Connect at Mentor for a Moment

Michelle Baird (BS ’14) was so engaged in coaching DU students in app development at Mentor for a Moment that she stayed with them far beyond the official end of the event. A product manager at Twitter’s Boulder campus, she relished the opportunity to connect with students and offer guidance as they examined the next steps of their project. Baird was one of 12 alumni who returned to campus for the chance to connect with students and share their expertise.

“I was delighted to be invited to Mentor for a Moment for the opportunity to provide DU engineering and computer science students exactly what I was craving during my time at DU,” she said. “I expected to provide insights and learnings that I had gathered from my time at DU and in industry. Not only did I get to provide that, but I was also absolutely astonished by how passionate and driven the students were to get out there and make an impact.”

The event was a result of a cross-campus collaboration among engineering faculty and staff and staff from the Career & Professional Development and Alumni Engagement departments within Advancement. It brought together students and alumni from the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science for an evening of networking, speed-dating style.

“The Mentor for a Moment event was not only a great way to connect with professionals in our desired fields but it was also a surprising amount of fun. The conversations were topical and light, while remaining focused on the realities of life as a STEM professional,” said DU student Dominick Biggs. “Additionally, the chance to connect with alumni across the generations, fields, and backgrounds was fantastic, and I’m very appreciative of the opportunity to have done so.”

Patterned after a recent and wildly successful networking event for students and alumni from DU’s Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Mentor for a Moment gave engineering students a venue to connect with alumni — while giving alums a chance to contribute to their future colleagues’ career success.

“I had the unique pleasure to help two students in particular with a company they had started with their colleagues,” said Baird. “It was an honor to have these students take the time to seek my knowledge and advice while I rediscovered what I love so much about the path I've chosen and how I could have only discovered it at DU. I hope to see more events like this from the engineering and computer science school, and I would love the opportunity to learn from these students again.”