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Marigny Duga began her junior year with a goal: To land an internship that would jumpstart her future career in statistics. Duga was confident that the practical skills she had gained in classes would make her a strong candidate. But she needed to learn how to market herself to employers.

That’s where CLAS MentorConnect came in. The program links College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students to alumni in all industries. Paired through an online platform based on the students’ professional interests and goals, mentors and mentees meet virtually for résumé reviews, career advice and more.

Duga connected with mentors who had backgrounds in statistics, but when it came to polishing her applications and interview skills, she found a perfect fit outside her field.

Mike Mignardi (Chemistry ‘81, PhD ‘89), a longtime manager at Texas Instruments, had ample experience in hiring. The two conducted mock interviews and Mignardi provided feedback, which helped Duga tighten her answers and craft an “elevator pitch” about herself.

“I learned how to showcase my skills and my willingness to learn more, all condensed in a five-minute speech,” Duga said. “It gave me the confidence to go into a corporate setting.” And it showed: Duga spent the summer of 2021 as a quality analytics intern at Florida Blue. What’s more, she has tapped into the vast network of CLAS alumni who are eager to support the next generation of Gators.

The experience was just as valuable for Mignardi, and he urges other alumni to get involved by paying it forward. “Each of you has something to share with a mentee,” he said. “Hearing about your successes — and even your mistakes — can pay dividends for students. The opportunity to help someone from the college is so rewarding.”

MentorConnect is a component of the college’s Beyond120 program, which provides experiential learning and career readiness programming for undergraduates. Learn more about the program here.

Read more stories from the fall 2021 issue of Ytori here.