Kelsea Warren
2010-2011 Mentor of the Year

Nominated by her mentee, Jocelyn Alexander

This year I got the honor of having Kelsea Warren as my mentor through the College of Business Mentoring Program. I have faced many transitions coming into my freshman year here at CSU and I couldn’t imagine not having Kelsea there to guide me through it all. Her support and advice, whether it be academic or personal has greatly helped be become a better student. I feel that Kelsea has gone above and beyond her mentoring expectations with her enthusiasm, her devotion to help others, and her personal drive to succeed. It is with this, that I recommend Kelsea Warren for the 2010-2011 Mentor of the Year Award.

Kelsea and I would have our bimonthly meetings at our favorite coffee shop, Starbucks, on Thursdays. We would talk about how I was doing in the classes that I was taking and the extracurricular activities I was involved in. Kelsea was extremely active in giving me pointers for upcoming exams (since she had taken most of the classes that I was currently in.) When I would come to her for advice about classes that I was struggling in, she encouraged me to keep trying and gave me relevant resources to check out that would help me with that certain class such as, the test files center at the Lory Student Center (LSC), and the tutoring center in the TILT building. These resources were very helpful for me and I will continue to use them throughout my college career.

Kelsea also shared her personal experiences as a business student and her involvement on campus. We had this in common because I too, became very involved. Kelsea supported me with my extracurricular involvement by talking to me about the organizations that I was in and encouraging me that I could, for example get into the sorority that I was rushing, or pass my CPE exam for CREWS. Kelsea’s energy and encouragement gave me confidence and drive that I could succeed in these areas.

Kelsea’s enthusiasm and drive to work hard and succeed has really impacted me as a mentee. I look up to Kelsea as someone that I wish to be some day. Kelsea started off as my mentor, but soon grew to be a friend that I admire. Kelsea has played a very special role in my freshman year and she deserves to be recognized for it. She is an inspiration to me and I’m sure many others. Please consider my mentor, Kelsea Warren for this special recognition!

Nadia Ghani
2010-2011 Mentee of the Year

Nominated by her mentor, Lauren Bass

I am writing you this letter on behalf on my mentee, Nadia Ghani, to highly recommend her for the 2010-2011 Mentee of the Year.

When I first meet Nadia at the beginning of the year, her personality, eagerness to learn and her drive to excel at everything she did truly amazed me. I understood quickly why she was selected for the mentoring program because she is exactly the type of student who will thrive in this kind of environment and be a remarkable representative of the program. Nadia showed up at our very first meeting with such an influential outlook on her college experience and the most incredible positive attitude that our relationship thrived immediately.

Nadia has many reasons why she should be reserved, timid or cautious but these words have never come to my mind when I think about her. Not only is she an underrepresented freshman but she has many other challenges to overcome that the normal freshman does not. Even with these added challenges, Nadia has very quickly out grown the title of a “freshman” and has adopted and excelled through not only academics but also socially. The qualities that I see in her will make her an exceptional leader and an extraordinary addition to the College of Business.

Since Nadia and I first met she has used me as a resource at every opportunity. She never hesitated to ask me questions at every meeting about thing such as how she can become more involved, what are the best groups to become a part of and what are some of the helpful learning tools available to her on campus. Her questions showed me how motivated and driven she was to get the most out of her time her at CSU. She is always enthusiastic about all the mentoring events. Even with her busy schedule of being a part of the Honor’s Program and pledging to Delta Sigma Pi, she has still managed to attend multiple events.

Having the accomplishment of being named Mentee of the Year, I feel will be the first step along a tremendous path that Nadia will lead throughout her years here at CSU. To Nadia, being a part of this program is a great honor and privilege that she wants to make the most of. She is so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a member of such a prestigious program, that she plans on giving back to the Mentor Program as much as she can in her sophomore, junior and senior year. Being awarded this distinction, Nadia will make such an inspirational role model for the incoming freshman with her constant smile, her never changing positive attitude and her outlook of “bring it on!” to all the challenges that arise.

It is with such great honor and pride that I am able to write this letter about someone who has not only grown into such an incredible and outstanding person this year but has been truly an inspiration in my own life. I am extremely lucky and thankful to have been paired up with Nadia and have her impact me in such a positive way.

So it is without any doubt in my mind and with the most unbelievable amount of pride that I highly recommend Nadia for the Mentee of the Year.

Carolyn Lucchesi
Distinguished Mentor Award

Congratulations, Carolyn! She was recognized for this award for outstanding service to the College of Business Mentoring Program. Carolyn mentored for 3 years, while balancing academics and work. She made time for the program and for three individuals who benefited from her guidance and support. Thank you, Carolyn, for all you have given to the College of Business Mentoring Program.

Ashley Thomas
Aspiring Leader Award

Ashley was chosen for this award based on her leadership potential seen throughout the academic year, and based on the words of her mentor, Katie Hartwig:

Ashley has a bright future and she has worked hard in order to achieve what she has accomplished today her drive is evident in all that she takes on. Ashley may be the most passionate and dedicated person I’ve had the opportunity to work with in my time at CSU.

What does Ashley have to offer to the program in the future? Ashley will guide others through their struggles and challenges with positive support on a regular basis. The college of business focuses largely on diversity and Ashley contributes to this goal and will effectively prove to those around her why understanding diversity will enhance their experience. Ashley will be the mentor others shall aspire to be, she will do great things in her life and she will greatly impact all of those she surrounds herself with and that take the time to engage in activity with her.

Congratulations, Ashley for receiving the first Aspiring Leader Award for the College of Business Mentoring Program!