Journalism Students Participate in Sam's Club Mentoring Program

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From left front row: Rachel Rawlings, Allison Draper, Rachel Deems, Rachel Nipper and Tori McChesney. Back row: Micah Minter, Steven Zapata, DeMarius Davis and Lucy Brown

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Five Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism students were selected to participate in the Sam's Club/Lemke mentoring program led by two communications professionals, Rachel Nipper and Steven Zapata. This is the second semester for the senior-level program available to advertising and public relations sequence students.

Zapata, a Lemke journalism alumnus, approached Ignatius Fosu, associate professor of journalism, in fall 2014 to express an interest in establishing a mentoring program; the first class met spring 2015.

"Oftentimes, students think that a strong resume and cover letter are all it takes to land a job. The reality is that it takes much more to convince a company to take a chance on you. That's why this program is about setting realistic expectations, providing honest feedback and preparing students for the competitive job market," Zapata said.

After a short application process, five students were selected based on academic performance, campus involvement and career interest. The program was created to help transition senior-level students into the workforce.

The students this semester include journalism seniors: Rachel Deems, Allison Draper, Tori McChesney, Micah Minter and Rachel Rawlings. Lucy Brown, clinical assistant professor, is piloting the program this semester with journalism graduate assistant, DeMarius Davis.

"Very rarely do undergraduate students have the opportunity to network with Fortune 500 industry professionals," Deems said. "I am thankful for Rachel and Steven's mentoring and the skills they have instilled, so that I can join the workforce with more experience and confidence."

The five mentees have been meeting regularly on campus since Sept. 18. Mentoring sessions included industry insights, resume workshops and interview coaching. The students' experience culminated Nov. 20, when the students visited the Sam's Club headquarters for mock interviews and job shadowing with senior-level executives.

"This program has been beneficial to both the students and myself," Davis said. "I hope the students understand that this is an extraordinary addition to both their journalism coursework and internship experience. It's not every day you meet professionals willing to help students transition from being a student to a young professional."