Pam Richardson Supports
UAH Mentorship Program
Benefits of Mentorship Experience are a Two-Way Street
Huntsville, Ala.: Building a Community is always top-of-mind at SilMan Industries, and that means communities of many different kinds. Sometimes it means being as an authentic collaborator with a client, or developing productive partnerships with vendors. Or it could mean installing a baggage inspection system for the Oakland International Airport.
This time, however, team member Pam Richardson is helping to build the community of tomorrow by volunteering for the mentorship program at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (“UAH”).
That is when she met Jennifer Wooten.
“The funny thing about meeting Jennifer for the first time was that it was my first mentorship with the university, and she was a freshman,” laughed Pam. “I am not sure which of us was more nervous about wading into this new experience together.”
Spoiler: Fast forward to the end of the semester and we find that Pam and Jennifer have decided to continue the relationship through the rest of the school year. This surely qualifies the experience as a success!
Let’s find out more about how they got there.
Meet Jennifer and Pam
Jennifer is a freshman at UAH majoring in Mechanical Engineering, and was raised in Franklin, Tennessee. Her expected graduation date is Spring 2023, and her dream job is to build tanks for the military. She has had her sights set on this career since she was a sophomore in high school!
Pam leads the Recruiting efforts for SilMan Industries. SilMan is an industrial construction and logistics solutions provider headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area of northern California. Pam operates out of SilMan’s office in Tupelo, Mississippi. Though she spends most of her time working out of her home office in Huntsville, Alabama.
The Mentorship Program
The “Mentor a Charger” (“MAC”) program is sponsored through the “hire and recruit” offerings of the UAH Career Services department.
The MAC program pairs students with members of the professional community. Mentors and mentees are encouraged to schedule five one-on-one meetings, in person or virtual, between September and December.
After an introductory meeting by telephone, Jennifer and Pam created a list for expected “takeaways” from the program:
- Create a mock telephone interview experience.
- Begin work on a resume
- Create a LinkedIn account
- Strategies for Career Fairs
- Plan for Summer internships
Other than the mock interview, the remaining meetings took place on campus at the Charger Union.
Being a Mentor
Pam’s deep-seeded passion for mentorships comes from her own experiences and by observing mentorships in action through the hundreds of career searches she interacts with each year.
In Pam’s own words:
“It is my belief that a mentor is essential for success in life. Both mentors and mentees can offer each other encouragement and support for growth and improvement. Having a mentor improves your communication skills, as well as your life skills. It’s a push in the right direction.”
“Being a part of the MAC program has helped me to improve my professional performance and development,” she continued. “More important than anything, however, it has been a way for me to ‘pay it forward.’”
Speaking specifically about Jennifer, Pam said “We hit it off immediately, especially because we are both deep believers in pursuing continual development. Always pushing, always learning.”
Being a Mentee
Jennifer also reflected on the experience:
“Ms. Richardson has been a delight to work with. At the beginning of this process, I was unsure how it was going to go with her and me both being new to the program. I would not have changed a thing. It was interesting to see the hiring side’s perspective of an engineering job. It helped me feel more confident that I will be able to one day get a great job.”
About the Program
Follow this link to learn more about UAH or the MAC program, or contact Brittney Scott, Career Development Coordinator, at Brittney.Scott@uah.edu.
About SilMan
SilMan Industries (previously SilMan Construction) is based in San Leandro, Calif. Founded in 2008, SilMan is currently active in 27 states. The firm operates in three divisions – Construction, Logistics and Site Services – and provides integrated solutions in the Industrial, Manufacturing, Distribution and Public Works sectors. For more information, please visit www.silmanindustries.com.
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