Student-Alumni Mentor Program

The SSP Student-Alumni Mentor Program is designed to help current students cultivate a network of contacts in the professional security community.  Students that sign up for the program are assigned to a participating SSP alumnus who is employed within a security subfield or organization which the student has expressed interest in.  Ideally, the mentor relationship begins during the student’s first semester and progresses to the point where the mentor can make specific career suggestions, serve as a reference, and potentially help the student forge additional professional relationships.

How to Register for the Student-Alumni Mentor Program

In order to participate, students must email the following documents to the SSP Career Services Coordinator:

  • Resume
  • Mentor Program Statement of Purpose (500 words maximum) that briefly discusses the following:  undergraduate background, current employment (if applicable), course of study at SSP, and what he/she hopes to take away from a mentor relationship.

The resume and statement of purpose is not an application, rather it is a package that will be sent to prospective alumni mentors.  Once students have been matched with an alumnus, the Career Services Coordinator will ensure that communication is established between the two participants (usually by email).  Ideally a student and his or her mentor will be able to meet in-person, however due to the busy lives of students and mentors, sometimes email and phone conversations are more practical.

Once a student has been put into contact with an alumni mentor, he or she is expected to make a good-faith effort to cultivate the relationship. The student-alumni mentor experience can be an extremely rewarding, but like any good relationship, it requires an investment of time and energy.


"The connection I made through the mentoring program at SSP has been invaluable to me and my future career.  The professional advice given to me by my mentor has also served to allay my fears and give me confidence in my abilities and prospects in the future." -- SSP Student, Class of 2009

 

"My mentor has been a valuable sounding board as I have gone through the job search process. The reassurance I have received has been as valuable as the advice." --SSP Student, Class of 2007

 

"The mentor experience provided me with an in-depth look on how certain jobs affect one's family life. In that regard, my mentor definitely gave me a lot more things to mull over before jumping into any particular field of work." --SSP Student, Class of 2007