The Student Alumnae Mentoring Network provides undergraduate women with advisement, support and networking opportunities through connections with Dartmouth alumnae. At the heart of the program are mentoring pairings. Each SAMN student is paired with an alumnae, based on both parties' interests, career/life aspirations/experiences, and other factors as determined by the participants. SAMN provides guidelines and structure to help insure that the pairings are successful in meeting both parties' expectations and needs. Additionally, SAMN provides a variety of opportunities for on-campus interaction among student participants and alumnae from all walks of life. SAMN students also receive VIP invitations to related events involving alumnae (advance notice to reserve seats for dinners, for example).
Each term SAMN hosts small dinners that allow students in the network to meet and talk informally with alumnae whose life paths provide interesting models for discussion.
Monitor the SAMN Blitz bulletin for details.
The Network was founded according to the vision of its founding donors:
“I recognize the impact that my Dartmouth experience had on the formation of my own leadership style. . . . It's important that women have leaders and role models who demonstrate, not only that women can achieve, but also that there are models of leadership which differ from historical norms in women-friendly ways."
- Win Neuger '72
“Women benefit from ongoing opportunities for gaining self-confidence, for learning how to analyze dynamics of power in the culture, and for finding ways to negotiate full access to necessary resources for their lives. We wanted to give women more of a chance during their college years to address these issues in a liberating and empowering environment."
- Christie Neuger
SAMN strives to provide leadership support and advisement to undergraduate women in the areas of gender equity, social justice, human rights, family and community enrichment, and related pursuits. This emphasis may find expression in any chosen field of interest (i.e., scholarship, professional career, entrepreneurship, community service, artistry), and, therefore, it does not exclude from participation individuals pursuing “traditional" work opportunities in any specific field. It does, however, distinguish SAMN from other general mentoring and networking opportunities available to Dartmouth students and alumnae/i.
This fall, as SAMN enters its fifth year, we are recruiting members of the class of '05 into the program through an application process. Students will be chosen to participate based on the compatibility of their interests with the founding principles behind the Network. Pairings, generally completed by the end of students' junior fall, remain in effect through their graduation (though some pairs continue to communicate independently).
Application Form (82K PDF File)
For student participants, we have provided a useful guide to help prepare for productive mentoring relationships.
Student Guide (2.1MB PDF File)
For more information about the Network, email the SAMN Coordinator, John.Haletsky@Dartmouth.EDU.
