Gaels Go Further Mentoring Program Kicks Off Second Year
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Iona University’s Gaels Go Further Mentoring Program recently commenced its second year with an opening ceremony at the LaPenta School of Business.
Launched under the leadership of Iona President Seamus Carey, Ph.D., and sponsored by Jim Oates ’95 and Monica Oates ’95, Gaels Go Further Mentoring is an initiative developed to advance students’ professional careers by connecting them with successful alumni.
Students had an opportunity to officially meet their mentors and discuss their career goals at the event as they networked and enjoyed refreshments.
Opening remarks were given by Interim Provost Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., in the Henry Lecture Hall. Jim Oates, principal of Eventum Risk Advisors, LLC, also spoke about the excitement of the mentoring program. Afterward, several students expressed how getting mentors is a meaningful benefit to their academic experience.
“Having a mentor...lets me know I have someone looking out for me but now I also feel the pressure of wanting to live up to someone else’s expectations,” said senior and Media and Strategic Communications major Cameron Deshnad ’23. “I think it will end up pushing me to do better, which is something the event helped reassure.”
“Having a mentor alleviates some of the stress from worrying about connections,” said senior and Media and Strategic Communications major Jason Piccolomini ’23. “Life is all about who you meet and the people you know, so having someone already established in their career definitely helps my mindset throughout the beginning of my own career. I’m excited to get started with my mentor and am very fortunate to be involved with Gaels Go Further. It’s always encouraging to see someone who was once in your shoes make an impact.”
Gaels Go Further utilizes Iona’s network of over 50,000 alumni across a wide array of industries. Students are matched with alumni mentors based on common career paths and interests. In addition to “flash” mentorship sessions offered on the GaelsConnect platform, long-term opportunities are available through a two-credit course that runs the full academic year.
Learn more about the Gaels Go Further program here.
Students had an opportunity to officially meet their mentors and discuss their career goals.
Jim Oates ’95 and Monica Oates ’95 sponsor the Gaels Go Further Mentoring programs.
Students expressed how getting mentors is a meaningful benefit to their academic experience.
Interim Provost Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., delivered opening remarks.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of over 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is accredited by AACSB International, a prestigious recognition awarded to just five percent of business schools worldwide. The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona University also recently launched a new, fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona University and NewYork-Presbyterian announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, to be principally located on the University’s new campus in Bronxville, N.Y. Supported by a $20 million gift from NewYork-Presbyterian, the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences offers a new vision for collaborative health care education, modern workforce development, and community care. On July 1, 2022, Iona officially changed its status from College to University, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.