As a journalism and new media major, she was connected with Brigid Sullivan, a 1970 graduate of Fordham’s Thomas More College and vice president for children’s media and educational programming at WGBH in Boston.

Sullivan provided Conde feedback on her resume and networking. For Conde, it was invaluable knowledge. 

“Having this amazing person in the media industry with me made me feel a little bit less lonely,” said Conde, a native of Venezuela native who won an Emmy for her work on the Univision program Despierta America.

Sullivan said she wanted to pay forward the knowledge she gained from the late John D. Boyd, S.J., her Fordham professor and mentor.

‘With Valeria, I saw a great talent, and I encouraged her to pursue it,” she said.

RamConnect: How to Sign Up

Jerry Goldstein, alumni relations specialist at Fordham’s Career Center, said the Fordham Mentoring program is still accepting applications for both mentors and mentees through Sept. 30. Alumni and students can sign up and list their interests, professional goals, availability, and how much time they can commit. He said it’s constantly evolving to meet the expectations of students.

“Mentorship can mean many different things to many different people. With all of the pressures and time constraints that students face, they really want flexibility,” he said, noting that the Fordham Mentoring Program is one of several programs offered through RamConnect, the University’s online community for professional development. 

When students are matched with mentors, they’re not tied down to rigid schedules focused on a formal set of goals. Rather, mentors and students are encouraged to focus on what works best for them individually.

The program has been growing 5 to 10% a year, and this year, Goldstein is hopeful that in October, the center will pair up 330 students with mentors, a 40% increase over last year. They’re especially interested in signing up students who are interested in health sciences and finance, as well as mentors who can share expertise in the arts.

Goldstein said they generally pair mentors and students from similar fields, but common interests or hobbies that are revealed through questionnaires will also result in successful pairings. Ultimately, he said, it’s part of a larger effort to make RamConnect a community of alumni. 

“In addition to formal mentoring like this, you can choose an informal approach and do flash mentoring, which is just contacting alumni and asking one or two questions or dealing with one issue,” he said.

“Between these programs, we hope that students, soon-to-be alumni, and current alumni will give back to each other and network with each other for the rest of their lives.”