Mentoring: A lifetime of support
Posted January 2023
In support of National Mentoring Month, we’re shining a spotlight on amazing Terrier mentoring stories. If you want to mentor a Terrier, volunteer on BU Connects!
As a first-generation undergraduate, Alanis “Laney” Broussard (COM’24) came to Boston University without the built-in generational knowledge or professional network of some of her peers. An aspiring journalist, Laney took it upon herself to plot out her career by emulating the news anchors and reporters she most admired, and this passion and drive led her to an internship with CNN in the Summer of 2022. Upon learning about a new COM mentorship program launching on BU Connects, she decided this might be just what she needed to “solidify what I wanted to do, how I wanted to get there, and given words of advice from someone who’s been through a similar industry pathway as I have.”
Diana Kloorfain (COM’88) began her career as a journalist before moving into producing and post-production for unscripted television. She had previously expressed an interest in supporting BU students, so when Heather Fink, Director of COM Career Services, emailed to tell her about the upcoming COM Mentors program, Diana was excited to volunteer. Earlier in her career, working on NBC’s Dateline, a producer took Diana under her wing and, Diana says, “I learned early the value of a mentor… finding somebody that you trust, that you respect, to give you good advice.”
Upon being matched, Diana quickly recognized Laney’s enormous potential, and she was determined to help Laney move forward in an industry that can be both cutthroat and male-dominated. She “wanted to show Laney that there are women out there who want to help other women,” and she’s confident that Laney will pay it forward to others throughout her career. For Laney, though, Diana’s guidance went above just career assistance. “Every single interaction I had with Diana,” Laney says, “I knew she wanted the best for me.” Echoing the old phrase about it taking a village to raise a child, Laney adds that “It takes a whole network to raise an adult into whatever career position they want to be in.”
Throughout the semester, Diana worked to help Laney establish a foundation for what she wants to do and to detail the steps she’ll need to take to get there. When Laney expressed additional interest in learning about careers in public relations, Diana even connected her with a friend (and fellow Terrier) who is a longtime PR professional. That new connection blossomed into a second mentorship that continued into the new year.
Laney stresses the power of having advocates who say her name in rooms where she isn’t present, especially as a first-gen student. “Having people in your life that can enrich it is so valuable and so important – not just for who you are today but also who you could be in the future.” Encouraged by Diana to be confident and lean into her growing professional network, Laney reached out to colleagues from her previous internship, and those conversations were the beginning of what became a new opportunity to intern with Warner Bros. Discovery this Spring.
After working with Laney, Diana remarks that mentoring has been an extremely rewarding experience. “I feel like I hit a home run!” she says. And while their formal mentorship has ended, Diana is resolved to remain a supportive presence in Laney’s life and career. As Laney puts it, “College is something you have for four years, but a mentor is something you can have for a lifetime.”
Have you made a meaningful connection through BU Connects? We want to hear about it!