Students want to see themselves reflected in their mentors

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The UGA Mentor Program needs you!

There is a UGA student arriving on campus this fall that can benefit from your experience. The UGA Mentor Program is simple to join, and mentoring fits within your schedule. A 16-week mentorship requires just 1 to 2 hours per month. Making yourself available for 15- to 30-minute Quick Chats are another option. It may amaze you how much you get out of giving back as a mentor.

To help new and potential mentors, the UGA Mentor Program is hosting a webinar, UGA Mentor Program 101, on Aug. 3 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. You will hear from successful mentor/mentee pairings, learn best practices for forming a strong connection and discover tips to become an effective mentor.

The UGA Mentor Program has facilitated 3,692 mentoring relationships since it began, and perhaps the best endorsements of the program come from students.

“Jumping into college as a freshman, you have no idea what the future or even next week will look like,” said one student in the program. “You’re making new friends, learning how to get around and deciding how you want to spend the next 30-plus years of your life. I felt stuck struggling to choose a major—until I joined the UGA Mentor Program. Because of my mentorship, I am confident, knowledgeable and on the road to success.”

Another student said, “I gained exactly what I needed from the Mentor Program: someone who had great knowledge, and a great heart, that was willing to invest in me.”

Students have stated how helpful it is to talk to someone who has been in their shoes and how important it is to find support from others who traveled the same path before.

Be there for a student. Become a mentor.

BECOME A MENTOR

$1 million gift to promote Terry College study abroad scholarships

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This story, written by Ed Morales, was originally published on UGA Terry College of Business on June 28, 2022.

The University of Georgia received a $1 million gift to the Terry College of Business to support students and faculty pursuing work and study abroad opportunities in the risk management industry.

The gift from the family of Scott and Linda Sink of Birmingham, Alabama, will help fund travel, research, internships and other expenses, with first priority supporting study abroad trips to Bermuda and London for students in Terry’s Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) program. The RMI program administers the Insurance Market in Bermuda trip during spring break and the Insurance Market in London trip during Maymester. The endowment will also supply financial resources to bring visiting faculty and international scholars to UGA who provide a global perspective on risk management.

Scott Sink serves as Senior EVP and Energy Division Practice Leader at McGriff Insurance Services, Inc., an insurance broker specializing in business and personal insurance, employee benefit solutions, risk management services and more. He graduated from the Terry College in 1984 with a BBA in risk management and insurance, serves on the RMI Program Advisory Board, and was named Terry’s 2012 Risk Management Alumnus of the Year. The Sinks are members of the Terry College Shareholders’ Society, which helps fund college initiatives to support students, programs, and faculty teaching and research.

“We recognize the importance of international business experience and exposure to other cultures to cultivate a global mindset when starting your career,” Scott Sink said. “Terry’s RMI program has provided our family with an abundance of opportunities, and we are thrilled to make these experiences more accessible to Terry students.”

Expanding study abroad is a key initiative for the Terry College of Business, which seeks to provide vast and diverse access to international learning experiences needed to excel in a global business environment, said Dean Benjamin C. Ayers. The average cost for a study abroad experience is $5,000, and the college currently offers fewer than 10 endowed donor-supported study abroad scholarships.

“This important gift will open the doors in perpetuity for more Terry students to have the ability to learn and experience international business firsthand,” Ayers said. “About a third of our students have financial need, and the Sinks’ generosity helps the college lift that barrier to provide opportunities to study abroad to more of our students.”

Ranked No. 1 overall by U.S. News & World Report, Terry’s RMI program is the largest undergraduate program of its kind in the U.S., boasting more than 500 students.

To learn more about study abroad opportunities at the Terry College, please contact Kathy Ortstadt in the Terry Development and Alumni Relations Office at ortstadt@uga.edu.

SUPPORT THE TERRY COLLEGE STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP FUND