Trustee Mentor Program | Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The Trustee Mentor Program is a unique mentorship program offered to selected experienced student leaders. With the support of WPI’s Board of Trustees, the President’s Office and the Division of Student Affairs sponsors the program to rising junior and senior student leaders and pairs them with a member of WPI’s Board of Trustees for a minimum of one year. The goals of the program are to foster mentoring relationships where students can learn from successful professionals about leadership and their career path. The Trustees gain valuable insight into what is important and relevant to today’s students. Both enjoy the benefit of sharing firsthand knowledge about the university, but from different perspectives. Because we have a limited number of mentor placements, this is a highly competitive program.

"My participation in the Trustee Mentor Program has been one of the most valuable and rewarding aspects of being a WPI Trustee. These students are WPI’s best and brightest… they are outstanding students, campus leaders and wonderful individuals. Getting a glimpse of WPI as seen through their eyes helps me in my Trustee role and perhaps the guidance, insights and referrals that I might provide may be helpful to them as they consider career and graduate school decisions. Ultimately, the students are the core reason why we serve as Trustees. Getting to know these impressive young men and women is inspiring and affirms that we truly are a very special university."

Phil Ryan ’65, former Chairman of the Board

"Networking is such an important part of career development and the trustee mentorship program is an ideal networking opportunity--being able to connect with successful entrepreneurs that have a passion for WPI and its students. I was accepted into the program my junior year and matched with Judy Nitsch, founder of Nitsch Engineering--a civil engineering firm. As a female civil engineering major, our mentor/mentee pairing could not have been more perfect. Judy became a great source for sharing her experience as a female engineer in the general industry, as well as in a management role."

Jennifer Flanders ‘09

The benefits of having a Trustee Mentor:

Develop valuable skills for networking, mentoring, and leadership.
Further develop leadership qualities that are essential for professional success.
Create a connection between the student body and the Board of Trustees and become knowledgeable about the role of the Trustees.
Discuss issues that impact the student body and campus life in general.

The qualities that we look for in a candidate for the program:

Excellent academic and disciplinary standing.
Well-rounded, diverse leadership experiences across the breadth of the university.
Professionalism and communication skills.
Knowledge of and interest in the university.
Represent the university well to the Board of Trustees.

Application Process:

You must submit an application, provide an updated resume and an updated photo of yourself. All applications will be reviewed and selected candidates will be invited to participate in the interview process.
If invited, you will have a formal interview. Students selected to continue to this phase will also be asked to submit a reference letter.
After all of the interviews are complete, all materials are reviewed and final decisions are made.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

The application for the 2024-2025 school year is currently open. Please utilize this link and check this site occasionally for more updates.