A Message from the President | University of Colorado

Creating Futures: Leeds mentorship program lets students go straight to the top for answers

Leeds School of Business
(Photo: Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado)

CU-Boulder business students gain from the sound business foundation and entrepreneurial mindset that the Leeds School of Business provides. And through Leeds' Professional Mentorship Program (PMP), they gain much more: a unique relationship with a business leader who can provide personal advice and perspective that's hard to come by in a classroom.

Gordon Trafton,'77, knows the value of a good mentor. As an undergraduate in the late 1970s, a distinguished CU professor gave Trafton invaluable advice, connections and even a leg up on his first post-graduation job. Now Trafton is returning the favor as a mentor himself and with his recent gift of $500,000 to help position the PMP program to become a national model of mentoring excellence.

"I want mentoring to thrive at Leeds and want mentoring woven into the fabric of the Leeds experience to give that extra edge to all graduates," Trafton said.

His generous gift – one of many thousands made during CU's ongoing Creating Futures fundraising campaign – is a cornerstone in an effort to build a $1 million endowment for the program. The endowment would help the program expand to provide mentoring opportunities for more than half of Leeds undergraduates.

Students can apply for mentors based on factors such as their major, career interests and personality type. The program's success and the quality of Leeds students have enabled the PMP to attract quality mentors who have experienced success at the highest levels.

"Most people don't get to email the CEO and chairman of a very large and successful company whenever they want to get some advice on everyday issues," said Leeds student Laura Guerra, who was paired with tw telecom President and CEO Larissa Herda.

Mentors report benefits from the program as well. "It's an opportunity for you to step back and understand what the world looks like through 20-year-old eyes again," says David Wolf, PMP mentor and managing principal for a Boulder asset advisory firm.

For these "20-year-old" Leeds students, the PMP makes the future look especially bright.

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