2025 News Alumni: Alumni get UMass Dartmouth students career-ready at Meet and Mentor Mixer

Alumni-student networking event sets Corsairs on path to personal and professional triumph

Effective communication, time management, resilience, leadership, and adaptability—these soft skills are often considered the cornerstones of success across professional industries. Yet, for many college students preparing to plunge headfirst into the deep end of their career, learning them can be challenging in typical academic classrooms. It begs the question: How can UMass Dartmouth bridge this gap to ensure students are ready for the next chapter?   

The Meet and Mentor Mixer provides a simple answer to the question: alumni. Held on March 27 in the Claire T. Carney Library Grand Reading Room on campus, this networking event offered students a chance to make lasting connections with generations of Corsairs that were once on the cusp of a new beginning themselves. Using insights from real-world experiences and lessons learned from time spent as a professional, alumni gave students invaluable advice while serving as proof to students that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel—and it’s brighter than ever imagined. 

“This event helped me get out of my comfort zone. I’m a pretty shy person, so it can be hard for me to make new connections,” said Sebastian Perez ’27, a crime and justice studies sophomore and offensive lineman for UMassD football. “Having all these alumni here tonight shows me that there’s so much potential for success coming out of UMass Dartmouth.” 

“I’m a big proponent of the three T’s: time, treasure, and talent. The alumni here tonight are giving their time, offering treasured advice, and sharing their talents with these students,” said Ucal Palmer ’94, UMass Dartmouth Alumni Association member and chair of the Alumni to Student Engagement Committee. He also lives by three C’s: commitment, circle, community. “This is my community, and it has never stopped being my community.” 

Students spent all evening engaging in lively conversations with alumni, who helped guide them through their next steps forward as leaders of tomorrow. From cover letter concerns to best application practices, no topic was off-limits, and even alumni were left with an unmatched excitement for the future these scholars will create one day, shaped by their unique passions and unyielding determination to succeed.  

“Selfishly, it’s still important for me to network and meet new people, but I think this event is also a form of community service for alumni,” said Alumni Association member Justine Cameron ’14, MPP ’19. “We’re giving back to the community, the alma mater that shaped us. I loved events like this when I was a student, and my network grew every time. It’s amazing to be able to repay UMass Dartmouth for those experiences.” 

“Tonight, I talked to an alumna who works for New York Life Insurance, and I got her business card to connect her with a classmate that’s really interested in a future with that company,” said Danielle Lawrence ’25, a finance major who’s ready to cross the stage in May. “It just goes to show the power of networking and the UMass Dartmouth community.” 

“I’m here tonight because I remember what it was like being an undergraduate student, or even a graduate student,” said Alumni Association member Bryce King’19, MAT ’19. “So many things get thrown at you in life that can be difficult to juggle, but events like this give students that sense of guidance and mentorship they need. I hope students take away a sense of community, that the University and its alumni care about them.” 

“Students need to know that they are never alone,” echoed Palmer. “All they need to do is pick up the phone and send an email. I have no doubt a Corsair will be there.” 

To build an alumni-student connection of your own, join the Corsair Network to search for a mentor or mentee, post and explore job openings, and interact with the UMass Dartmouth community. 

“So many things get thrown at you in life that can be difficult to juggle, but events like this give students that sense of guidance and mentorship they need. I hope students take away a sense of community, that the University and its alumni care about them.” 

Alumni get UMass Dartmouth students career-ready at Meet and Mentor Mixer

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