Inspire, Explore, Mentor, Network
Alumni share their best tips for successful CMU experiences and futures
Every Tartan’s experience may be as unique as the thousands of Fence designs over the years, but one thing remains a constant — the unwavering support of the CMU community to help each other thrive.
With this in mind, we asked CMU’s Alumni Association Board members to share advice tailored for each undergraduate class.
Get Inspired: Advice for First Year Students
Denise Asafu-Adjei (MCS 2008)
Board-certified reproductive urologist and clinical researcher; Director of Male Reproductive Medicine, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
During your first year on campus, how and where did you find inspiration?
I found inspiration in my friends and professors as I embarked on a new stage in life.
In your career and daily life, how are you inspiring others to pursue their best paths and selves?
I inspire people to be dedicated to their mission and be unwavering in their commitment to excellence.
If you could go back, what advice would you give to your first-year Tartan self?
I would have encouraged my first-year Tartan self to spread my wings more! This came with time, but the foundations and friendships you form with people in that first year are so crucial to your trajectory and Tartan experience.
Embrace Exploration: Advice for Sophomores
Chris Stengel (SCS 1993; TPR 2000)
Director of Technology, Mt. Lebanon School District
During your sophomore year, how and where did you explore the unlimited possibilities for your future?
Sophomore year was a very big year for me! After getting my feet wet representing my floor at Hamerschlag House to Student Dormitory Council (SDC) during my first year, I decided to really dive in to SDC. I got on a number of committees and represented SDC to the National Association of College and University Residence Halls. Academically, I was finished (for the most part) with my core classes and got to explore a number of computer science electives. After "surviving" my first year, it was my first real sense of visioning a future for myself as a computer Sscience/CMU student!
How are you still employing an exploration mindset today?
CMU taught me to question everything, even if you come to the same result you started with, you feel so much stronger about that result for going through the process! I never take a situation at face value. There must be some other angles or drivers or motivations for what I’m faced with!
If you could go back, what advice would you give to your sophomore Tartan self?
I would tell that young man, it’s OK to fail at things if you learn from them. I put myself in a lot of situations where I insisted that failure wasn’t an option, but I just didn’t know how failure could help me at the time! I know now that failure can be our biggest teacher, and I wish I would have embraced that when I was 20.
Seek Out a Mentor: Advice for Juniors
Astha Singhal (ENG 2012)
Director, Workforce and Infrastructure Technology at Netflix
How did you get engaged with a mentor, and what did you learn from their first-person insight?
I was paired with a mentor as a part of my CMU department’s onboarding program. Connecting with someone who had gone through similar experiences but now was on the other side of it was really helpful. Their insights helped me feel some assurance in my ability to navigate these new experiences.
Why did you decide to give back as a mentor?
More than giving back, this really feels like paying forward. Mentorship and sponsorship have played a big part in my career growth, and I want to be able to help others in the same way.
If you could go back, what advice would you give to your junior Tartan self?
I would advise my younger self to invest in building the community and support system around them. Given the intensity of the CMU experience, community support can be a great tool to navigate the challenging times.
Networking for Success: Advice for Seniors
Lenny An (ENG 2011, 2012)
Vice President, Project Management at Citi
What networking opportunities did you take advantage of during your senior year, and how did they contribute to your next steps?
I actually owe my first job after undergraduate to the CMU alumni network. During my senior year, I was having trouble figuring out what to do and what my first job would be — the classic senior year crisis. It was suggested to me that the alumni network database would be a great place to look (shoutout to community.cmu.edu). So, I searched through, found alumni working at companies I knew of and sent cold-emails to them. Low and behold, one amazing alum responded and eventually helped get me my very first ‘big boy’ job at the company he was working at!
What are your top networking tips?
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength and courage. As long as you do it with sincerity and kindness, most people are willing to, at the very least, have a conversation with you. You’ll never know where that conversation will lead you.
If you could go back, what advice would you give to your senior year self?
Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to find ‘the perfect job’ right away. Your career will meander along paths you never knew existed. Spend time building genuine connections with folks and try to keep the meaningful connections intact. CMU is a special place filled with special people. Don’t forget that!
