The Career Center’s ProfessioNole Mentors Program was one of the selected programs to receive Student Technology Fee funding during the 2021-2022 awards cycle. Formerly known as Seminole Connections, the program was created in 1988 as a way of connecting FSU students with alumni and friends of the university.  

When the program was originally created, the Career Center used a Rolodex and index cards to maintain a record of the student mentors and mentees. Interested student mentees would be able to scroll through the Rolodex and find mentors who matched their chosen career path, geographic location or various other factors. In 2019, the ProfessioNole Mentors Program completely upgraded their mentoring system by switching to the online platform Xinspire, purchased with Student Technology Fee funding. The Xinspire software encouraged student mentees to build out their profile with their major, career goals, academic organizations they were involved in and other characteristics. Then, the software would suggest potential mentors that matched the student’s profile and allow them to connect one-on-one.  

The ProfessioNole Mentors Program enables students to connect with FSU alumni for a variety of purposes. Whether a student is looking to network with professionals of their desired career path or looking to receive career advice for a particular profession, there is a mentor for everybody.  

The Career Center currently has 2,500 mentors and 4,000 mentees and is always looking to expand. If you or anyone you know is looking to join the ProfessioNole Mentors Program, reach out to the Career Center! 

To learn more about Student Technology Fee projects happening around FSU, visit the Student Technology Fee webpage or watch the ProfessioNole Mentors Program video on YouTube.