Asha Elgonda (MPH, ’22) embarked on her master’s degree at the School of Public Health in fall 2020, an especially difficult time to navigate graduate school, with most classes moving online and typical campus life interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst all these disruptions, being part of the SPH Mentor Program made a huge difference in Elgonda’s educational experience, helping her navigate classes, find job opportunities, and explore career choices.
The Mentor Program connects public health students with public health professionals for career and professional development guidance. As the largest mentoring program at a school of public health in the nation, it pairs more than 300 students and alumni each academic year. SPH taps into its network of over 12,000 alumni located across the state, nation, and globe to support SPH students while offering a fulfilling way for alumni to give back.
“The mentor program really changed my career direction,” Elgonda says. “I knew I wanted to do something with infectious disease and public health, but I didn’t know how to put those things together. Having a mentor really helped. She opened up the gates and showed me that there were other careers in health care.”
Today, Elgonda works as an infection preventionist at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. She returned to the program as a mentor, advising student Madie Cordell (MPH, ’24), using her recent experience as a graduate student and mentee as a model to provide advice and direction.
“It’s been a great experience,” says Cordell. “I have really enjoyed having someone to routinely talk to who went through things a couple steps ahead of me.”
“Because the program pairs students with SPH alumni in their fields, students get to connect with someone who has been in their shoes. They can share their experiences from when they were students and what the public health field looks like as professionals,” says Bao Lee-Yang, SPH assistant director of engagement, communications, and events. “Mentors can help students with the guidance that will help them get to the next chapter in their careers.”
SPH assistant director of engagement, communications, and events. “Mentors can help students with the guidance that will help them get to the next chapter in their careers.”
Alumni also contribute by serving on the mentor committee, part of the SPH Alumni Society Board. Members of the board advise Lee-Yang on strategies for programming, recruitment, workshops, and more, helping to ensure that the program continues to meet the needs of participants. The program succeeds, she says, because mentors and mentees both report that they benefit from participating. “It goes in a circle. You give and you receive, and you receive and you give,” Lee-Yang adds. “It’s a powerful dynamic that brings together shared passion, values, and a commitment to the greater good.”
First-year graduate student Edie Newman (MHA ’25) appreciates the help she received when applying for summer residencies. Mentor Vic Galfano (MHA ’86), coached her on interviewing techniques, helped Newman refine her ‘elevator pitch,’ and conducted a mock interview. She found the advice invaluable.
“All the professional development has been super helpful, especially because I came straight out of undergrad,” Newman says. “I think that having a mentor is good for everyone. Being able to hear about their real-world experience brings another perspective, and I think my interview skills went up exponentially because of Vic.”
Serving as a mentor has been equally meaningful for Galfano, the interim associate chief hospital executive at Provident Cook County Hospital in Chicago. He enjoys talking with students about what they are reading and learning, which helps him stay current in the field.
Galfano says that when he started mentoring in 2016, “It was a chance to give back a little bit and be part of the program. What I have come to recognize is that in talking to these early careerists, it raises questions that force me to think about why I’m doing something, and to be more thoughtful and objective and present in those decisions,” he says, adding, “I’ve really enjoyed it.”
