Friendships, Career Advice and More with QCC’s Mentoring Program

WORCESTER, MA—June 24, 2020 —Quinsigamond Community College’s Mentoring Program connects students with staff, faculty, industry, and community members to create one-on-one relationships that help students in their academic life and with their future career goals and objectives. Yet often what happens is mentors and mentees find more than just a collaborative, working relationship, many times they find an enduring friendship.

This was the case with recent graduate Bobby Kapel and retired military professional Kevin Campbell. The duo are a part of the college’s mentoring program and while the two are generations apart, from different countries, cultural backgrounds and career fields, the partnership is one that has flourished. Mr. Campbell is a QCC alumnus (1973) and was one of QCC’s first mentors. He said he learned of the program after reading about the need for mentors and then meeting with QCC’s President Dr. Luis Pedraja.

“I wanted to give something back,” he said.

Mr. Kapel emigrated from Liberia in 2012, living first in Pennsylvania before moving to Worcester in 2016 and working in the human services field. In 2017, he came to QCC to realize a dream of furthering his education and bettering his future. In his homeland of West Africa, he had taught high school for a couple of years and saw first-hand the need for support and guidance from mentors. When Mr. Kapel came to QCC, he saw the college’s mentoring program as a pathway to success in life.

“I saw this as a big opportunity and way to keep on track. I never had a mentor,” he said.

Both mentor and mentee said it has been a fulfilling and advantageous partnership based on mutual respect. On the first day the two met, Mr. Campbell said he knew it would be a fruitful union.

“The key thing on day one, I could see in Bobby that he was committed in what he was doing, committed to his studies. I could tell right away how serious he was about his education and achieving his goals,” he said.

The two men have consistently met throughout the year, transitioning to calls and Zoom meetings during the pandemic, and Mr. Kapel said the advice he has gotten from Mr. Campbell has been invaluable. In May, Mr. Kapel graduated from QCC and in the fall will be heading to Assumption University. He said his mentoring experience has been such a positive one, and hopes to become a mentor and be a valued resource for others, the way Mr. Campbell has been to him.

“I admire Kevin for his service in the Army and also his service in the community. He is always willing and available to help,” he said, adding that he considers him his role model.

According to QCC Mentoring Director Gabriel Santner, the program has been a huge success, since its inception in the fall of 2018. This year alone there have been 135 successful matches, with the assistance of a core group of four community partners: AbbVie Biopharmaceuticals, The City of Worcester, University of Massachusetts Memorial Healthcare, and Hanover Insurance. These core community partners committed to having 10 mentors from their organization participate in the mentoring program. Additionally, there are mentors from over 20 additional companies throughout Central Massachusetts.

“Being a mentor is really a grassroots way of helping people find their own way. This is a great way to help young people achieve their goals. The feedback you get and the things you learn about the struggles they face, I think makes you a better person,” Mr. Campbell added.

Even with the pandemic and recent inability to meet face-to-face, mentors are still volunteering to be a part of this transformative program.

“At first, I was very worried about shifting over to virtual mentoring. I believe that in-person meetings are so valuable, yet we had no other choice. However, as our whole society shifted to Zoom meetings and FaceTime, I found that mentors and mentees were much more comfortable with the idea than I thought,” Mr. Santner said. “Now I am signing up new mentors virtually. In fact, we are able to bring new mentors into the program who live outside of Worcester, and liked the idea of virtual mentoring. ”

Anyone interested in being a mentor can reach out to Mr. Santner at gsantner [at] qcc.mass.edu. For more information, visit www.QCC.edu/services/mentoring for information on the program.

For more information about QCC, contact Josh Martin, Director of Institutional Communications at 508.854.7513 or jmartin [at] qcc.mass.edu