Maryland Made's Mentor Program Is Helping Maryland Student-Athletes Navigate Through Life's Challenges

Everyone needs a mentor to help them navigate through life's challenges and growth. But mentor relationships aren't one-sided; the mentor and mentee can relate to the importance of having someone to talk to and give advice and support on a personal journey.

Senior Angela Garvin of the Women's Golf team became a member of the MDMade Mentor Program through her induction into the Barry & Mary Gossett Fellows program. She was paired with Angela Perry, the current President of the M Club, a former Maryland Football manager, and now the Director of Communications at Hardesty & Hanover, an engineering firm focused on transportation.

When she applied to be part of the MDMade Mentor program, Garvin was not yet decided on a major. Now, she's a Business Management major with a minor in Spanish.

"I think at the time I was undecided, but I knew I was going to do something in business," Garvin said. "Then you put some information about you and then you get to pick kind of how you want to be matched. Like if you'd rather be matched with someone with the same background. As you are in the same career path or sport or anything like that. I picked the business one."

For her part, Perry knew she wanted to be a mentor when the program started to give back to current Terrapins. 

"I got on board right away because I thought of how important it was for alumni student-athletes to give back to our current student-athletes and what a difference we can make to them," Perry said.

The MDMade Mentor Program, now in its third year, focuses on building and developing strong, trusting relationships between professionals and current student-athletes while providing an atmosphere dedicated to the positive growth and professional development of Maryland's student-athletes. 

Terrapin student-athletes in the program are paired with a mentor to provide help, suggestions, advice, and connections to support mentees. 

The mentors and mentees meet at least once a month. During the Covid-19 pandemic, monthly meetings were virtual. Despite not being able to spend time in person, Garvin and Perry established a supportive bond early on. 

"I mean, it was definitely helpful," Garvin said. "Especially because I worked for the first time at a golf store in the summer. I was able to talk to her about that, what I was learning or what I found helpful."

Garvin also started talking to Perry about another critical life decision - whether she should go to graduate school or start working after graduation. 

"We were talking mostly about MBAs and stuff, because I don't have that. No one in my family really went to college, especially grad school," Garvin said. "I don't have that perspective of like, is the grad school degree helpful? Is it not? So we were able to talk about it and she was advising that I get it because it's helpful where she works and she wishes she could have gotten it back then and everything. So it was really helpful."

But it's not all a one-sided support system. Garvin has provided Perry support as well.

"It's not all about me either," Garvin said. "I get updated on what's going on with her at work and everything is very mutual."

As President of the M Club, Perry shared a time last fall when Garvin supported her. Last fall, at the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Perry had to speak in front of hundreds of guests. 

"I had shared with her the week before that I was nervous," Perry said. "'I have to stand up at this banquet. I have to talk. I was a little nervous about it.' So the night of the banquet, I got an email from her, saying, 'Hey, I know tonight is your big night. Knock it out of the park!' or something like that."

"She mentioned that public speaking wasn't her favorite thing," Garvin said. "I was like, 'You got it. Hey, you're good!' Like, I mean, especially from my perspective, I'm like, 'You're my mentor. Like I think you could do anything.'"

The message meant a lot to Perry.

"I got that email and it just meant so much to me because she was helping me," Perry said, "That's awesome. The point is, is it really goes both ways. You learn a lot from your mentee as you know, it is just as rewarding for you as it is for them and maybe more."

After the bond they forged last year, Garvin wanted to keep Perry as her mentor for this upcoming school year.

"I, for sure, would want to keep in touch with Angie long term," Garvin said. "I think that like what I'm learning from the Gossett Fellowship, and just from everything, it's so important to make these connections, and it's not just for the purposes of networking. It's also for the people that can advise you.

"Having her has been so helpful in the business setting. And then also, we've talked about personal development up to like, leadership and confidence and things like that, that have also been helpful, just because she's already in that setting now. She went from college to now being in the business world and knowing how those dynamics work and what that's like. So it's been super helpful and I mean, I definitely would like to stay in touch with Angie."

And the feeling is mutual. 

"It's just as rewarding for the mentor as it is for the mentee," Perry said. "The fact that I'm able to share with her, I've also learned from her.