With over 40 alumni from across the country registered, the Western New England University (WNE) College of Engineering hosted the 23rd Annual Alumni Mentoring Program kickoff event on Thursday, October 10. This is the opening event in a series of mentoring discussions throughout the fall 2024 semester, with the intention of connecting first-year engineering students with former College of Engineering alumni professionals. The event is hosted on Zoom and is an academic requirement for all first-year engineering students.

This year, it provided 200 students exclusive access to engage with over 40 alumni from across New England and as far away as California, Florida, Michigan, Virginia, and Texas. Through breakout rooms and roundtable discussions, alumni engaged with driven students, sharing guidance, expertise, and advice to help them explore their interests, shape their academic paths, and strengthen their career aspirations. As per tradition, the Walter J. Azar Award was granted to a student who has completed two semesters of study and has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement in computer engineering courses. The 2024 honoree was Alexis Kempton, a sophomore Mechanical Engineering honor-student from Dracut, Mass.