Student-Created Brandeis University Mentorship Program Guides Science Graduate Students Through Career Exploration
March 7, 2025
Abigail Arnold | Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
On February 27, 2025, Brandeis University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) students and alums gathered at Brewer’s Tap and Table for a networking event. While enjoying food and drinks, students in the packed space talked to their peers and to Brandeis graduates, discussing future plans. Students shared their career goals; alums shared their paths to their current roles.
The event was organized by Brandeis University Mentoring Program (BUMP), a new student-led program stemming from the CDS (Career Development for the Sciences) club, designed to pair graduate students in the sciences with alum mentors who can help them through the process of career exploration. Molecular and Cell Biology PhD students Anjali Pandey and Camille Sullivan, who started the program, came up with the idea based on their own networking experiences. “We were going to a lot of networking events, and one thing people reiterated was to use our alum network,” said Pandey. “I thought: if we have this rich resource of alums who are eager to help, why don’t we set up a program?” “When Anjali brought up the idea, I was very excited,” Sullivan added. “The importance of having a mentor is clear, but how to go about getting one isn’t. As a first- or second-year graduate student, I would have loved a simple way to connect with alums. We are excited to have a program set up in which a mentor can help guide you at any stage.”
Pandey and Sullivan worked with GSAS staff members Marika McCann, Assistant Director of Professional Development and Employer Outreach, and Becky Prigge, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, to launch the program. The program will connect students from all science graduate programs with alum mentors; to participate, students must commit to meeting with their mentor at least three times during the year and filling out a form afterwards to report on what they discussed. The organizers particularly wanted to emphasize bringing in mentors who had a range of jobs. “The dream is that as people graduate, they shift from mentee to mentor, and this grows organically,” said Sullivan. “The alums we picked are people Marika and I know would love to help and who have been asking to be more involved in the Brandeis community,” said Pandey. “It’s a virtuous cycle, because when we get excitement from alums, we get more motivated to put in the work for it.”
Sullivan and Pandey hope that both mentees and mentors learn and grow from the experience of participating in BUMP. “For mentees, the hope is to connect them with alums who can help guide and advise them on the nuances of different fields or companies that they will run into when applying for jobs,” said Sullivan. “The ideal would be to have a mentor who gets to know you well and can make suggestions based on your strengths or suggest ways to build new skills.” Pandey added that participating in BUMP can help students build their networks. “Some mentors have been out of grad school for decades and have made lots of connections. Now, hopefully, students will have access not just to mentors but to their networks. Even if the mentee isn’t going to follow the mentor’s career path, the mentor can connect them to someone else.” As for the mentors, Sullivan said, “We hope they will have a chance to build mentoring skills, which are helpful in any career in which they might manage or interact with people.” “When you go through grad school,” said Pandey, “you want to stay connected – alums always want to know what’s happening at Brandeis, and this is another way they can do that.”
At the first BUMP networking event on February 27, Pandey and Sullivan sought to introduce the program in more detail and encourage students to sign up for mentorships. “We really want newer students to come, learn, and get helpful advice,” said Pandey before the event. Participants in the event echoed the organizers’ goals. “I’m looking to broaden
my view of alums’ different career trajectories and how they ended up there,” said Emily Ziperman, a Chemistry PhD student. “I’m trying to make connections and figure out my next steps, and this is a nice atmosphere in which to connect with the Brandeis community and figure out different pathways,” said Physics PhD student Zachary Curtis. Alum Simon Huynh, of Mathematics, emphasized the importance of support in the career development process: “When I was looking for jobs, I got lots of help at Brandeis,” he said, “so I wanted to pay it forward.”
Not only can mentees and mentors learn from a program like this, Sullivan and Pandey emphasized that organizing it was a learning experience all its own. “Working with Becky and Marika, we are learning soft skills like organization, managing events, figuring out how people might behave, making connections, and leading. I think it’s a fun journey to go on,” said Pandey. “It gives us a reason to reach out to alums and build connections,” said Sullivan, “and, as students, we can get a lot of buy-in from other students. I have no problem going to my peers’ lab areas and telling them they have to sign up! That way we can get a lot of engagement and make this beneficial for both mentors and mentees.” Asked what advice she would give other students who see a need on campus and want to organize something to fill it, she said, “Take an hour and just start! Connect yourself with Brandeis staff who are in the space, because working with Becky and Marika has been so critical to maintaining momentum, excitement, and productivity; they’ve helped us streamline and have an extra set of eyes.” Pandey agreed, adding, “Find a community that motivates you. In general, everyone who’s involved is very excited, and that positive energy propels you further.”
Want to join BUMP as a mentee or mentor? Sign up here!