EMERGE mentors

“I joined EMERGE as a freshman because I had heard it was a good opportunity to get to know people in CIT. Now that I've gone through the positions of mentee, mentor, and now head mentor, I can say that it does much more than that. EMERGE provides a home base for students just starting out in CIT. They will always have someone to reach out to when they need help. Not only that, EMERGE actively holds events that further connect students to the right people and the right resources. I know without EMERGE I would've not known about a lot of opportunities I was able to take advantage of and get to the place where I am now. I hope to return the favor by helping out the incoming class of freshmen, and would highly encourage anyone to take up this opportunity!”

“As someone who has been in the EMERGE program since their freshman year, it has been such a rewarding experience, a great place to connect with others and grow as a leader. I can't wait to meet the incoming students and make some new memories!”

“I joined EMERGE my freshman year of college because I wanted to find other people who were pursuing an engineering degree. I dealt with a lot of imposter syndrome, and I wanted to be in an environment where I could feel as if I belonged. I then signed up to become a mentor because I wanted to be there for anyone who may go through what I did my freshman year and help them overcome it. I had to realize the hard way that sometimes you struggle to learn more about yourself, but that should not be a reason to not reach out for help. I want to be an outlet for students and I feel like being an EMERGE mentor is the perfect opportunity to do so.”

“My favorite thing about EMERGE is the incredibly friendly and open community! Everyone is easy to approach and endlessly willing to help students with whatever issue they may be having.“

“EMERGE fosters an amazingly supportive community, which I am so thankful to be a part of. By nature, I am a people person. I understand the difficulties that accompany starting at a new school, which is why I strive to be an empathetic leader and perceptive mentor.”

“My love for the program last year pushed me to become a mentor this year. The mentors created a really inclusive and comfortable environment to ask questions, have fun and meet new people, so I hope to bring the same energy this year!”

“EMERGE was a fantastic resource for me as I navigated my first year at CMU, and being a mentor allows me to support the incoming first-year years in the same way that EMERGE supported me. As a mentor last year, I loved being able to connect with my mentees and help them in any way I could. It’s been wonderful to be a part of EMERGE for the past two years and contribute to the program’s growth, and I’m super excited to return as a mentor again this year!”

“I wanted to be a mentor because I had a great time being a mentee last year. I really enjoyed having my mentor family. My mentor was very welcoming and supportive and shared a lot of useful information. I also got to meet many new people, so it was a great opportunity to socialize with others in various departments. Another reason was to contribute to the community because I felt so welcomed and gained a lot from this program, so I wanted to give back and support this community. Ultimately, I wanted to help other freshmen and make their experience at CMU better.”

“Being a part of EMERGE as a freshman helped me feel more connected to CMU’s amazing engineering community and provided resources I never would have known about. I am now an EMERGE mentor to continue supporting our first-year engineers and make sure everyone feels welcome, supported, and happy to be an engineering student at CMU.”

“I recommend that first-year students join EMERGE because of its community. Many fun events are held during the school year, and you can meet other first-years like you. You also get paired with a mentor, and it is helpful to have someone you can ask for advice when moving into an unfamiliar environment.”