The offices of Faculty Affairs and Organizational Excellence are collaborating with Dr. Kenneth Magdaleno from the Mentoring Center to coordinate these programs. The mentoring program connects a protégé with a mentor — usually an experienced person who is passionate about the University and being a campus leader.

Here are the stories of two mentoring teams:

Faculty protégé Jes Therkelsen, assistant professor in Media, Communications and Journalism, is being mentored by Magdaleno, director of the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership.

Therkelsen, who joined the Fresno State faculty in January 2013, came to documentary storytelling in a roundabout way. His undergraduate degree is in geology from Amherst College, but after producing a documentary film about his family, he decided he wanted to pursue a graduate degree in documentary filmmaking so he could learn more about how to use media as a tool for advocacy. He earned an M.F.A. in Film and Media Arts from American University.

"There are many communities in the Central Valley whose stories deserve to be told," he said. "I love that I'm teaching a rising generation of filmmakers in this region to tell those stories."

Therkelsen said the mentoring program is an excellent opportunity for him to connect with individuals within the campus community who have made real differences.

"I think the perspective I've learned from my own mentor, Ken, as well as other mentors and mentees within the program, has given me a more focused direction to pursue," Therkelsen said.

Magdaleno calls Therkelsen "an outstanding protégé. He is proactive in setting appointments, has questions or comments readily available and follows up on suggestions we arrive at together."

Therkelsen is involved in the University's Water Cohort and is a Coleman Fellow with the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He's led three short-term study abroad service learning trips: twice to Fiji and once to Tanzania. A cyclist and backpacker, he loves outdoor adventures. He also plays piano and guitar.

"Sometimes I compose the music to my films," he said. "I love experiencing new cultures, meeting new people and running into old friends in unexpected places."

Dr. Carolyn Coon (mentor) and Meredith Booey (staff protégé)

Meredith Booey, supervising locksmith with Plant Operations and a staff protégé, is being mentored by Dr. Carolyn Coon, associate vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and dean of students.

"Being paired with Meredith has been wonderful," said Coon. "We have had some interesting and insightful conversations, and I enjoy the times we've had together. She is a great colleague/protégé."

Booey has worked at Fresno State since 2002, when she started as a student assistant. She earned a B.A. in philosophy and has loved serving the campus from day one.

"I deal with the entire campus community, which is fantastic," said Booey. “Our shop is also involved in new buildings and groundbreaking projects in the earliest phases, which connects us to the campus intimately."

Booey said she’s found the mentoring program allows networking and brainstorming to improve leadership abilities.

“It widens our lens in terms of our role here on campus," she said. "Communication is a vital component in personal and professional growth. I think it's an invaluable asset as we continue to build this campus."

"The mentoring program allows growing staff such as myself to connect with somebody who not only has experience, but is willing to pass that wisdom along to further advance our careers and our passion for this community," Booey said. "Interacting with my mentor Dr. Coon has been truly beneficial to me, and we may not otherwise have interacted."

Booey serves on a campus LEAN team and has recently joined the Administrative Academy. She loves to write.

"If I wasn't a locksmith, I'd absolutely love to be a professional published writer," she said.

For more information about the Mentor Program and how you can participate, contact Kathleen Scott at kscott@csufresno.edu.