IM ASLA Collegiate Mentorship Program 23/24

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Letter from Matthew Adams, Vice President and Chairperson of the IM ASLA Professional Development Committee.

Our committee has an established goal of promoting mentorship between the working professionals of Idaho & Montana and the landscape architecture students at the University of Idaho and the Environmental Horticulture students at Montana State University. Our committee’s primary goal is to encourage talented students and emerging professionals to remain in the UI & MSU programs and in the profession. We believe that by creating a network of professionals at various career stages that are available to the students, we will create an environment that supports the students in a way that can get them to the finish line! Graduates from these programs are the future of our businesses and our profession. Please take a moment to review the attached program summary for more detailed information.

 I am reaching out to our IM ASLA membership with a call for professional mentors! Each of you have the experience that makes you a great mentor for a student. The commitment is very light as we ask that you make yourself available for at least three meetings with the student and the meetings can be by Zoom or Teams video chat or in person if geography allows. We will provide you with topics that you can explore with the student, or you can develop your own based on your area of expertise and student interest OR… you can simply have a conversation with the student.

 The need to get involved is critical and you are the right person to make this commitment!

The health of our profession now and in the future depends on talented individuals graduating from our regional landscape architecture programs. We are competing with many other degree programs and careers from the same pool of talent. This program WILL make the difference and will result in the strengthening of Landscape Architecture in Idaho and Montana. This program DOES make a difference. Here are some comments from 2022/23 students that were involved.

“The mentorship program here at the University of Idaho has been critical in helping me to focus and advance my goals as a student and professional. I was able to make a connection that I can benefit from for the rest of my career. Additionally, the mentorship program has provided me opportunities to be more involved with the IMASLA and provided the foundations for me to begin building professional relationships within the industry.” 

“I really appreciate having gone through the landscape architecture mentorship program at the University of Idaho. During the mentorship program, there were a lot of questions that I had about the whole process of developing and implementing designs, as well as the professional practice. Through the mentorship program, I was able to learn quite a lot of useful information applicable in school and in my professional career. I am truly glad that I was able to have a highly qualified mentor who didn't hesitate to give feedback and answer questions of mine.” 

“My mentee experience through the IMASLA is a real honoring experience for me.  For a professional in the field to intentionally set aside time to encourage, give insight into their day-to-day life running a Landscape firm and wanting to help me grow in a variety of topics really has grown my talents and desire for being in this field.” 

Those of you that are ready to get involved as mentors, please email me with your contact information no later than November 3. I will assemble a roster of mentors and get back to you as a group with more information. You will be paired with a student and they will reach out to you and make the initial contact. You can do this. You do not need to be at any specific point in your career or have any special skills. Each of you have experience that you can share.

Thank you for dedicating the time and energy to this endeavor. You are a valuable part of what makes our profession great and will be part of the continued strengthening of our local university programs and the students that they graduate.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly with any specific questions. I look forward to hearing from you.

Matthew T. Adams
Principal, The Land Group