ParMentors recently welcomed 12 new students into its campus service group. ParMentors is a 25-year-old campus organization started by the wife of former University President Dan Lambert primarily for the members to act as food servers at various events. Now parMentors has evolved into a broader campus service organization, designed to help students build professional relationships, skills and experience.

“We really feel that the students participating are some of the best and brightest on campus,” Amy Piersol, a co-advisor for parMentors, said. “They help us raise the university’s reputation and profile. At the same time we hope that it is beneficial to them as far as some of the professional opportunities.”

The group helps students develop and polish their professional skills, like public speaking and even skills to remember names. It teaches those skills by doing etiquette dinners and practice meetings. Members go to different events throughout the year, and they may do anything from giving speeches to greeting and handing out flyers.

“We are trying to give them a leg up, as they are trying to explore their career and interests,” Piersol said. “We hope that it is something beneficial too and enjoyable for the student participants, as well as an important way to give back to the university. “

Doug Barth, the other co-advisor for ParMentors, agreed.

“I think that a lot of the time parMentors will have a leg up on some of the other students on campus,” Barth said. “For the most part (it) is because of the mentor partnership we have and because of the professional networking events that we do have.”

The parMentors group meets once a month and currently has 40 students, including the 12 new members and the seven graduating seniors.

“I wanted to join because it is an amazing opportunity to meet alumni and network,” sophomore Kayla Paul, who is one of the new members, said. “I love how Baker is a small community and that even though they have graduated, (alumni) still care about Baker and students’ success here.”

It is up to the students to reach out to their mentors, who are assigned to them the summer after they officially join. The mentors are typically alumni or members of the Baker University Board of Trustees.

To qualify as a parMentor, a student needs to have completed 12 hours the prior semester, be enrolled as a full-time student and have a GPA of 3.2 or higher.

“We are excited. We got a great group of mentors and a great group of parMentors,” Barth said. “It should be a fun next year.”