The NEC Board-Student Mentor Program, begun in 2001, is primarily designed as a friendship program. It is a unique opportunity for you to engage in meaningful interaction with an NEC Board Member or alumnus — someone who cares deeply for NEC and its students, and who wants to learn more about the student perspective.
We hope that through this optional program you will be able to glean valuable insight into Boston, acquire experience and guidance not necessarily taught in the classroom, and gain advice in terms of career development strategies as well.
—Marie Llewellyn, Chair, and Barbara Raney, Program Coordinator
The Role of the Student Mentee
- Maintain regular contact with your Mentor.
- Share your NEC student experience with your Mentor.
- Invite your Mentor to attend your performances at NEC and throughout the city.
- Provide feedback about the mentor program at the end of the year.
Benefits: Forming a relationship with someone who has perhaps had different life experiences than you and who has pursued a different career path than you can be very rewarding and enlightening.
“Being in this program has already been one of the highlights of my study at NEC. I couldn’t tell you how much I enjoy this wonderful experience. My mentor is extremely loving. He teaches me so much … How to be brave and appreciate life.”
—Current Mentee
The Role of the Mentor
- Provide opportunities for interaction with the student Mentee such as meeting for coffee, attending a performance together, or inviting the student over for a “home cooked” meal.
- Provide experiences and guidance not necessarily taught in the classroom.
- Be a non-financial resource to the student.
Benefits: The program is an opportunity for Mentors to become further integrated into the Conservatory community by getting to know an NEC student on a personal basis.
“We enjoy our students and the many other students we have met through them. We attend all of their performances. We think the program is outstanding and we are having fun with it!”
—Current Mentors
Things to Keep in Mind
- The Program Manager and Committee members will match Mentors and Mentees according to common musical and non-musical interests, personalities, and expectations.
- The program is designed to be “free form.” Once matched, Mentors and Mentees are expected to initiate and maintain contact with one another.
- Events will be organized throughout the year and include a festive kick-off dinner, outdoor activities, intimate parties at Mentor homes, and a year-end celebration. They are a lot of fun and definitely one of the favorite aspects of the program. Mentors are asked to host their Mentee(s) at events and cover any event costs (which are typically minimal).
Suggested Activities
- Try to meet two to three times per semester.
- Meet for coffee at a local café.
- Visit local museums and attend concerts together.
- Invite your Mentor to sit in on one of your lessons or rehearsals.
- Invite your Mentor to your concerts or recitals.
Mentee Feedback
- Highlights of the program for me: the house parties, spending time with my mentor.
- Thanks for a magical connection!
- I have a great mentor. He offers much support, help, and advice with all of my musical endeavors.
- I really feel that I have gained a lasting friendship and know that I have someone that really is a mentor to me whom I can come to for whatever I may need. The events were especially fun as we got to interact with all the mentors, and I really got a sense of community.
- I think that this program is excellent. It makes students feel involved, and for students who have family that live very far away, having a mentor makes us feel like we have a bit of family here to support us.
- It was great getting to meet my mentor and to know that if I needed anything she would be there for me.
Mentor Feedback
- This has been a wonderful match! Getting to know our mentee, spending time with her and observing her progress has been an absolute delight. We have enjoyed concerts at NEC as well as Symphony and jazz together and conversation over dinner. This has been a very rewarding experience for me and I hope equally for my mentee.
- My mentee has expressed many times how important it has been to her to know I was here supporting her. I think the program is excellent. I know for my mentee that she has felt it really enhanced her entire NEC experience.
- We shared a good intellectual enthusiasm for music and other arts.
- The BSMP is hugely successful and is one of NEC’s most important programs.
- Both my mentees are bright, ambitious, hardworking, polite, and friendly. I respect their talent, ambition, and perseverance, and would like to help them out if I can.
Questions? Contact:
Barbara Raney
Office of the President
barbara.raney@necmusic.edu
617-585-1201
New England Conservatory
290 Huntington Avenue
Boston MA 02115-5018
2012-07-03
SARAH VAUGHAN