Other Articles

This past spring I had the pleasure and honor of serving as the Class of 1990's first Dartmouth Partners in Community Service (DPCS) mentor for Devon Green '02. I looked forward to the opportunity to advise a current Dartmouth student as she explored a career path and also to reflect on my own Dartmouth and career experiences. The mentoring experience meant even more to me, as the Class of '90 recently adopted DPCS as our official ongoing class project. Our Class raised enough money to support at least one intern this year, and Devon was our first student.

For me as a mentor, the DPCS experience was both educational and enjoyable. I found Devon to be bright, animated, and dedicated to her studies and job. She was excited about her opportunity to work for the Legal Aid Society in New York City, and to explore her interests in child advocacy and the law. Moreover, she was truly appreciative of the stipend that she received from DPCS to support her endeavor. As a student receiving significant financial aid from Dartmouth during the year, she explained that without financial support for her internship, she would have had to find a less interesting and worthwhile job on her leave term. It was gratifying for me as a mentor to see the direct impact of the DPCS (and Class of '90) funds on one particular student's life and education.

Devon and I were able to meet only twice, at the Dartmouth Club in New York. However, we corresponded more by phone and by e-mail. Devon was very self-sufficient as an intern, and did not ask for a great deal of "support", but she seemed to enjoy the chance to discuss her job and her Dartmouth experience with an alum and someone not directly involved in her work environment. I felt a connection to the Dartmouth present, and was reminded of my own Dartmouth past. I was able to offer Devon advice based on my own academic and professional background, and to encourage her as she returned to campus life and the consideration of her future. I was impressed by her enthusiasm and commitment to community service, which helped to reaffirm my admiration for the Dartmouth student body. I urge every Dartmouth alum to pursue mentoring opportunities through DPCS and other Tucker Foundation and college programs. They are essential not only for the development of current Dartmouth students -- and future graduates -- but for our own continuing connection to the College.