Testimonials
Below are the testimonials from our participants - both mentors and mentees.
Angelica Jones (Mentee)
Computer Science, Mathematics
"My mentor, Dr. Ratcliff, is amazing. She has made herself available to answer any questions I came up with and has taught me so much about the interview process. She emphasized finding a job that I like going to every day and doing work that I enjoy. She gave me so much advice on how to recognize if I am qualified for a job and when I should take the chance and apply for a position even if I do not fit every single job qualification. Dr. Ratcliff has a passion for guiding people into their careers which showed each time I have been able to meet with her. It has been interesting to learn about all the jobs she has worked in the Computer Science field. It was great to have a woman in a field that I would love to work in tell me about her accomplishments, especially with how male-dominated most STEM fields tend to be. I have learned a lot from her and now feel much more confident about applying for jobs and preparing for interviews."
Vlaun Samuels (Mentee)
Computer Science and Cyber Security
"For now, I will be graduating this spring and commissioning into the US Army as a Signal Officer. I just want to thank you for providing this opportunity to be mentored by MAJ Vu. MAJ Vu's guidance and mentorship really helped in grasping the overall concept of what is needed to be successful as an Officer in the military. His Cyber background was also helpful as he was able to assist me with my UWF ACE Cyber project. I will continue to keep in touch with MAJ Vu in the near future."
Robert Cruz (Mentor)
Senior Vice President, Engineering
New Century Health
"One of the biggest challenges in any role is getting an appropriate perspective outside of your day-to-day exposure to help inform how you react to future situations. There are multiple strategies to face this challenge, but one of the most impactful is creating a network of individuals who can gift you their perspective. One of the lessons that stuck with me the most during my time as a SAM at UWF was that of the value of building bridges, and the mentor/mentee relationship is a great example of that lesson in practice."
Sarah Rabinowitz (Mentee)
Biology
What I appreciate most about the IMSTEM program so far has been being able to fine-tune my professional skills. I was pretty clueless and overwhelmed about where to start with things such as my resume and CV. The relationship between my mentor and I has been able to give me more confidence in developing professional relationships and communicating my goals, career interests, and interview skills more effectively. My mentor has given me so much insight into the professional world. I have been able to ask him questions I wouldn't have been able to have the opportunity to ask anyone else. I believe I will be able to better adjust from a student to a working professional thanks to him.
Doug Heatwole (Mentor)
Environmental Consultant (retired)
Ecology and Environmental, Inc.
"I am impressed by my mentee's breadth of questions and areas of interest and am excited to share my professional and personal experience with my mentee. I recognize how my experience and recommendations enable her to be better informed of the possible career opportunities and pathways and how to be successful in attaining a fulfilling career. Her thirst for knowledge is inspiring to me and I am anxious to see her succeed after graduation and someday be a mentor to a young person pursuing their dreams."
Garrett Hale (Mentee)
Information Technology
"I feel I've found someone I can look to for guidance in this new part of my life I'm about to embark on once college ends. It is worth trying out applying for the program, as it can help with teaching people how networking works, even giving them a live example of somebody to network with."
Robby Fussell (Mentor)
Principal Architect - Trusted Advisor
AT&T Cybersecurity
"Witnessing my mentee getting excited about the field in which they are studying and understanding what is required from the workforce has been the best aspect of IMSTEM so far. The enthusiasm of the mentee about learning more in the particular discipline but more importantly the ability to look into the future and desire what is in store for them after graduating. It is important to be able to give back to the next generation what I have learned so they can focus on building on and creating new ideas with that information."
Courtney Foster (Mentee)
Biomedical Sciences
"I felt like I was actually being seen by a professional in a more personal and private setting. Not just physically seen, but I was able to display my knowledge and passion for my field of study in a less harsh environment. I have really appreciated the opportunity of this program. I have never experienced a program like this before and it was very beneficial for me. I also appreciate my Mentor as a whole. I couldn't have asked for a better match."
