New Jersey is home to large, medium and small businesses engaged in the fields of science, pharmaceuticals, bio-tech, the environment, engineering and telecommunications, all industries that depend on a well-educated, highly skilled workforce. Over the years, Raritan Valley Community College has worked with these sector groups to develop curriculum that prepares RVCC students to meet these industries’ growing workforce needs and to drive economic growth in the region.
From 2005 to 2015, the College worked with Johnson & Johnson to manage their national Bridge to Employment program in local high schools: Franklin and North Plainfield High Schools. The program met core School-to-Career principals, with the goal to increase the number of student accepted by and enrolling in higher education, and to increase the number of students interested in or planning to pursue a health career. RVCC’s local partners included Ethicon, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Somerset Medical Center, and FHI 360 National Institute for Work and Learning in Washington, DC.
Prior to the Sanofi Mentor Program, the College has never had a formal corporate mentoring program for RVCC students, and was eager to launch a program on campus to connect students with industry professionals to enhance their educational experience. RVCC, with funding from Sanofi US, launched the Sanofi Corporate Mentor Program at RVCC. The program’s vision is to provide a platform for a transformative educational experience outside the classroom by empowering students to realize their full potential, develop self-efficacy, build essential career competencies and forge a path towards their personal and professional goals. When it comes to students’ belief in their ability to succeed in college, a strong sense of career and self-efficacy promotes goal attainment, career competencies, and the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are required to excel in the workplace. The mission of the Sanofi Corporate Mentor Program is to provide students from diverse backgrounds access to corporate exposure and mentorship as well as professional and personal development.
RVCC designed and implemented the Sanofi Corporate Mentor Program that engages 10 RVCC students and 10 Sanofi employees. The Program’s vision is to empower students to realize their full potential, gain confidence, develop self-efficacy, build-essential career competencies, social capital, and forge a path towards their personal and professional goals by linking classroom learning to real-life experience through a transformative experiential learning opportunity. The team at RVCC is originally composed of Alicia Hermo-Weaver, Coordinator of Internships and Cooperative Education, Shay Wadher, Senior Associate for Academic Success, and Ronnie Weyl, former Executive Director of the RVCC Foundation, embarked on a thoughtful planning process to create a program that can be sustained over several years. The RVCC team developed a mentoring model with mentee learning outcomes, program benchmarks, and assessments. Michelle Amparbin, Program Assistant, joined the team in July 2018. Sanofi’s volunteer mentors are mid-and senior-level executives representing science and research; technology; marketing and communications; and business and finance. The Program is open to all students with a focus on recruiting first-generation students from diverse backgrounds.
RVCC. The key program design decisions include:
- Recruitment of mentors
- Eligibility requirements and application process for RVCC students
- Formal training of mentors and mentees
- Formal and informal mentor/mentee activities
- Program competencies and benchmarks
- Duration & content of mentor relationship
- Collaborative, professional & social aspects for student growth
The intention is to have the mentors, who have successfully navigated the collegiate and professional worlds, meet with students once monthly. Selected students will also be part of the Mentee Academy where they will meet once a month. To clarify, one session will be dedicated to reflection and training. The second session will be allocated to meeting with their mentor at RVCC. Students will also have a phone and/or zoom contact with their mentor one time per month for the Fall and Spring semesters. The students will also participate in Sanofi networking sessions where mentors might extend invitations for students to join them at chamber functions, networking events, or trade association meetings. Corporate culture, building skill-sets, learning to network, and understanding career paths will be some of the topics of conversation; over time, personal guidance will be offered to inspire and empower students.
Additionally, the generous gift from Sanofi will fund the corporate mentor program. The funds also support the creation of a personalized website, program t-shirts, personalized leather portfolios, mentee/mentor training, a kick-off event, closing ceremonies, and a $1,500 scholarship to all mentees. All these important components will cultivate a cohesive community for both mentors and mentees.
RVCC STUDENTS will:
- Improve student retention and college completion
- Prepare students to succeed at RVCC and transfer to four-year colleges or universities
- Facilitate career planning and job placement
- Engage in dynamic experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom
- Gain employability skills, build their career crystallization, learn professional etiquette, and build essential social/career capital
SANOFI EMPLOYEES will:
- Become engaged in their community
- Gain personal and professional satisfaction
- Help the company build a pipeline of qualified employees for Sanofi
- Enhance their leadership skills
- Significantly impact a college student’s life
RVCC STUDENTS will:
- Witness first-hand, what it means to be a professional and know why networking is an essential part of a successful career.
- Learn how to foster a mentoring relationship
- Gain support in the facilitation of academic and career goal setting
- Build networking skills and learn to understand the concept of social capital
- Increase college and career self-efficacy through formal and informal interactions
- Achieve program benchmarks and career readiness competencies
SANOFI EMPLOYEES will:
- Help students clarify and achieve goals.
- Offer to advice, counsel, and constructive feedback.
- Provide opportunities for students to gain professional. development focusing on interpersonal communication.
- Prepare students to be able to enter any industry with a more informed understanding of professionalism.
- Provide access to key organizational or professional circles.
- Demonstrate qualities successful leaders possess.
RVCC STUDENTS will:
- Attend an orientation program with fellow students, a kick-off luncheon, and a closing ceremony with mentors.
- Commit to meeting formally on the RVCC campus once a month with their mentor
- Commit to meeting once a month with fellow mentees in the Academy Sessions
- Attend three coaching sessions throughout the year
- Devote a minimum half-day to participate in onsite Sanofi networking sessions.
- Participate in a half-hour call/zoom once a month (at a minimum but more is encouraged).
- Be open, honest, and able to accept advice and constructive feedback in the spirit intended.
- Remember that mentors are volunteers and afford them courtesy and respect.
- Complete evaluations and participate in focus groups
SANOFI EMPLOYEES will:
- Attend an orientation session for mentors, and a kick-off luncheon and closing ceremony with students.
- Meet the student once a month at RVCC.
- Provide support and encouragement with a half-hour phone call/zoom once a month (at a minimum).
- Maintain informal contact via email or other forms of communication as defined and deemed acceptable by the mentor.
The RVCC team looks forward to collaborating with Sanofi to create a rewarding experience for mentees and mentors!
Listed below is a highlight of program benefits to the Mentees
- Matched with a corporate mentor that the student mentee will meet with during the academic year.
- Have additional mentor contact by speaking with their mentor on a monthly basis by phone, zoom, or meeting in person.
- Attend a valuable training program that will enhance their employability skills.
- Participate in 2 summer webinars to prepare for Fall and Spring Mentee Academy Sessions.
- Receive a $1,500 scholarship for participating in the program.
- Receive extensive career-related training.
- Will benefit from one on one coaching sessions in order to reflect on learning
- Experience will be documented on the student’s Student Engagement Transcript.
- Receive a Certificate of Completion.
- All expenses paid!
Requirements students must have met:
- Must be graduating in May or August.
- GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- If offered to serve as a mentee, must submit a transcript prior to the beginning of the start of the program to confirm maintenance of required GPA
- Demonstrated leadership qualities.
- Completed the application process in a timely and efficient manner.
- Able to commit to attending both the Sanofi Luncheon and the Sanofi Networking Sessions at Sanofi.
Be able to commit to the Mentee Academy and mentor/mentee meeting - 2 Thursdays per month during College Hour (1-2:20) during Fall and Spring, 2 Summer Webinars and one on one coaching sessions.
Meet The Raritan Valley Community College Team
Alicia Hermo-Weaver, Ed.D.
Manager, Office of Career Success & Experiential Learning
My educational background began with an Undergraduate Degree in Psychology with a Minor in Business Administration from SUNY Stony Brook. After working in the corporate world for 5 years in banking and as a Sales Manager for Chiquita Brands, I returned back to education and received a Master of Arts Degree from New York University‘s School of Education in Higher Education Administration and Counseling.
Since then I have worked for over 20 years in higher education. My focus has been working with students in the areas of career development and exploration as well as with employers building and cultivating partnerships. I am also certified to administer both the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory and worked at Montclair State University and Union County College. I have worked in various college departments including; The Education Opportunity Fund Program, English as a Second Language and Adult Education.
At RVCC I am responsible for coordinating Internships and Cooperative Education at the college. I work extensively with students preparing them to search and apply to experiences that complement their academic life. I am very excited to be part of developing and planning this new and exciting mentor program with Shay Wadher and I believe that this first group of talented and committed mentors and mentees will make for a successful and fruitful program!
Michelle A. Amparbin
Career Success Advisor, Office of Career Success & Experiential Learning
I spent more than 20 years working in the private sector prior to beginning my career journey in higher education. My undergraduate education includes an Associate of Arts Degree in Business from Raritan Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business with a Minor in Sociology from Drew University. I also hold a Master of Public Administration Degree from the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University with a concentration in leadership of public organizations.
At RVCC, I have worked in multiple roles supporting our campus community including the Sanofi Corporate Mentor Program. It is a pleasure to observe the mentees gain professional and personal guidance from their mentors. I am excited to Co-Lead the Program since I am a RVCC graduate.
In my current role as the Career Success Advisor in the Career Success and Experiential Learning department, my focus has been to prepare students and graduates for part-time and full-time job opportunities. Employment preparation concentrates on helping students create professional documents including resumes, cover letters, and digital professional branding through LinkedIn. I also provide advice in job search strategies and practice interviewing.
Nazneen Merchant
Program Assistant
I am excited to be a part of an amazing team with Alicia, Shay, and Michelle. I am also an RVCC alumni. After getting associate's degree from RVCC, I transferred to Rutgers and got my undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources. As a Program Assistant for Sanofi Corporate Mentor Program, it is my chance to give back and help students reach their maximum potential.
I am very passionate about education. It was through my dedication and hard work that I was able to graduate while taking care of my family and three kids. I want to convey the same vibes to all the participants of this program. I have always believed that “Life is a journey, not a destination”. It is not always easy to reach your destination. Sometimes you have to change path, sometimes you have to slow down, but trust me with determination and the right guidance, you can always achieve your goal. And providing students with support and great opportunities is what this program is all about.
Apart from my professional life, I am married with three wonderful kids ages 14, 10, & 8. I like to travel, bake, dine out, & watch television. I am looking forward to being a part of this program and helping students achieve their dreams.
Olivia O'Donnell
Sanofi US Student Ambassador
Hello! My name is Olivia O'Donnell, and I'm in my second year of Mechanical Engineering here at RVCC. I plan on transferring to a 4-year school after RVCC to pursue a graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. I hope to work in the engineering industry on the research and development of medical technology in order to make the world a safer and healthier place for communities around the world.
I'm very grateful for all of the opportunities Raritan Valley has provided for me, especially the Sanofi Corporate Mentorship Program. Participating in the program throughout the last year was the best thing I could have done to prepare myself academically and professionally, and I feel prepared and eager for my future. Working with my mentor was such a rewarding process and helped me learn about myself. I'm very excited to help this year's cohort get the most out of this program by working with them as the student ambassador."
Who is Sanofi US?
Sanofi is a global life sciences company committed to improvingaccess to healthcare and supporting the people we serve throughout the continuum of care.
From prevention to treatment, they transform scientific innovation into healthcare solutions, in human vaccines, rare diseases, multiple sclerosis, oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, diabetes and cardiovascular solutions and consumer healthcare.
More than 110,000 people at Sanofi are dedicated to make a difference on patients’ daily life, wherever they live and enable them to enjoy a healthier life.
Meet Diana Blankman
Head, U.S. Corporate Social Responsibility Sanofi U.S.
Diana Blankman Roberts
Head, U.S. Corporate Social Responsibility
Sanofi U.S.
Diana has spent more than 25 years in both the corporate and non-profit sectors, with a demonstrated history leading the development and execution of strategic corporate social responsibility programs, community and stakeholder engagement, building impactful signature corporate and NGO partnerships, improving company visibility and reputation, global product donations, and internal and external communications.
In her current role at Sanofi, Diana leads the U.S. corporate social responsibility function in which she is accountable for the building and implementation of a purpose-driven national CSR strategy, signature efforts, community relations, and employee and community engagement, that work to advance the company’s reputation, reflects its core mission and values, and drives results in support of the business.
Prior to joining Sanofi, Diana served as the Senior Director of Corporate Sustainability and Social Impact for Novo Nordisk, responsible for building and overseeing its U.S. corporate citizenship efforts and implementation of its Triple Bottom Line and Shared Value programming. Under her leadership, she developed and launched the company’s first formal U.S. corporate giving and community engagement platform that included several highly visible and impactful private/public partnerships. During her tenure, her efforts resulted in the company being recognized with several awards for excellence in philanthropy and social responsibility including being named to Fortune’s Best Workplaces for Giving Back.
In addition, Diana served as the Director of Corporate Contributions and Community Outreach for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where she was responsible for championing the company’s corporate citizenship efforts. Among her accomplishments, she built a comprehensive philanthropic and community relations program, created Wyeth’s first formal volunteer program; developed a global product donations program for the Consumer Healthcare business; and created the company’s first global Corporate Citizenship Report.
Diana is a graduate of Drew University in Madison, NJ, and received a Certificate in Corporate/Community Involvement from the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. She is on the Board of Directors of Jersey Cares where she previously served as the organization’s President, and is a Founding Advisory Board member for the FDU Center of Excellence for Leadership, Governance and Philanthropy where she is also on the faculty.