Posted: May 8, 2017, 6:24pm
The GAPP department at USC has designed this amazing Graduate Mentorship Program by virtue of which, the incoming graduate students smoothly transition into the system. Sometimes, academic help is not all we need and a new environment can be overwhelming. That’s exactly where this program comes to rescue.
The idea is to pair up mentors and mentees with similar interests and similar degree levels. Often the match is with the same cultural background but sometimes it is not, on purpose. It’s an excellent way for mentors to expand their network, learn from each other, inculcate a sense of belongingness towards Viterbi, and help others the way they were helped when they were new to USC. The mentees greatly benefit from this program in terms to getting acquainted with LA, the various departments, building at USC, how the job scenario is and who to contact for further help. Also, there are several scams that international students often run into. Such a program helps the mentees be more alert and cautious towards these things.
My mentor is called Nischala Yelchuri and she is also from India. I am forever thankful to her for the way she received me and helped me out I don’t know how many times. I had flu when I first came to LA and wasn’t taking care of myself really due to excessive running around for errands. When I met her, she straightaway took me to a food joint and I ate like a baby! Not to forget, the desserts also! Well, one never forgets when they are treated with good food, especially a foodie like me! But I really did feel I had someone to count on in the foreign land that I was in, and that, trust me, was a huge relief. Along with guiding me academically on which courses to take and spreading my network in my discipline, she helped me out understanding the general USC culture also. She’s graduating now, and I’m greatly thankful to her and this amazing program that I encourage everyone to take advantage of.
Published on July 25th, 2017
Last updated on August 10th, 2017