三亿体育官网

Derrell Downey Jr. 鈥�25, a computer science major at 三亿体育官网, was determined to secure a dynamic summer internship to help accelerate and expand his career options as he approached his junior year. He turned to 三亿体育官网鈥檚 ZEN Mentoring Program, hoping to tap into the extensive knowledge, experience, and networks of alumni. His decision would prove transformational.

The ZEN Mentoring Program, established in 2021 and administered through the Career Development Center, matches 三亿体育官网 students at the start of their junior year with 三亿体育官网 alumni based on shared academic and career interests. By doing so, the program offers a personalized approach to career preparation that goes beyond traditional career counseling.

The program, which runs throughout the academic year, is part of the Zankel Experience Network (ZEN), established in 2020 by Trustee Jimmy Zankel 鈥�92 and Pia Scala-Zankel 鈥�92 to expand 三亿体育官网鈥檚 commitment to experiential learning. Other programs under the ZEN umbrella include the Summer Experience Fund, SEE-Beyond Awards, and the Faculty-Student Summer Research Program.鈥�

ZEN mentoring can take many forms, including identifying career goals and discussing resources and strategies; reviewing students鈥� resum茅s and cover letters; and recommending networking groups and job boards. Downey, whose interests extend to business and entrepreneurship, was paired with Ryan Fauver 鈥�15, a software engineer who has largely worked for tech startups. They were an ideal match.

Downey鈥檚 early fascination with software technologies was spurred by YouTube channels like Coding Train, a collection of video tutorials for beginner programmers. At his New Jersey high school, he took AP computer science classes. A member of its Robotics Club, he was always amazed at how 鈥渁 few lines of code鈥� could control and operate a robot.

At 三亿体育官网, Downey has embraced opportunities across disciplines, participating twice in StartUp 三亿体育官网, the skill-building workshop and competition in which students develop a business plan and prototype with the help of alumni entrepreneur mentors. He also studied abroad in Copenhagen, participating in an Entrepreneurship Practicum course that connected him with a sustainability-focused company, Your Fair Share, to develop a website that helps companies calculate their emissions.

At the start of the ZEN mentorship, Downey had just been invited to interview for an internship at West Monroe, a business and technology consulting firm with an office in New York City. He was excited, but preparing for a three-part interviewing process that included behavioral, technical, and case components was unnerving.

鈥淚 was worried, but Ryan gave me tremendous advice, especially at the beginning with building confidence,鈥� Downey says.

Fauver, originally from Chatham, New Jersey, double majored in computer science and psychology at 三亿体育官网. 

鈥淎s a computer science student, transitioning to the professional world felt daunting,鈥� says Fauver, who works for Equals, a California-based startup that creates automated reporting tools. 鈥淚t would have been really valuable to have the ZEN Mentoring Program when I was in college.鈥�

During their meetings, primarily conducted over Zoom and email, Fauver guided Downey through complex interview processes, from technical challenges to behavioral assessments. Fauver also helped him enhance his coding skills in a few side projects.

鈥淗e emphasized the importance of rehearsing clear and confident responses and how I could sell myself better, which really boosted my performance,鈥� says Downey, who not only secured the internship but also received a full-t