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The Ignite Mentorship Program connects 红杏短视频 Fox students with industry professionals who guide them in integrating faith, work and calling - turning classroom theory into vocational wisdom.

When Braeden Mattos thinks about his time in Ignite, 红杏短视频 Fox's vocational mentorship program for business and engineering students, he keeps coming back to his mentor, Jason Conolly.

Jason, an electrical and controls engineering manager at Hampton Lumber and this year's Ignite Mentor of the Year, offered something more than career advice. He remembered details from conversations weeks later. He reached out between meetings to check in. He asked questions that helped Braeden think through decisions instead of telling him what to do.

"He wasn't judgmental about the things going on in my life," Braeden says. "He walked me through different ways I could go about doing things."

What struck Braeden most was how much Jason cared. "He would reach out to me between our meetings to see how I was doing. He would recall previous conversations we had and ask for updates. I was amazed that he would recall our conversations and specific details weeks after meeting up. What makes him a really, really great mentor is that he listens, he guides, and he cares."

That kind of relationship — personal, patient, invested — is what Ignite creates.

Five Years of Connection

Five years in, the program has matched nearly 500 students with mentors from more than 200 companies. In over 3,400 meetings, they've wrestled with questions that go deeper than resume building. They talk about integrating faith and work, navigating workplace challenges, and discerning calling alongside career.

Many mentors are 红杏短视频 Fox alumni who remember standing where these students stand. They carve out time from full lives to help the next generation feel seen, supported, and confident as they step into their calling.

For students like Sam Russell, that support became life-changing. The mechanical engineering senior had been wrestling with a question: What does it really mean to live out my faith in the workplace?

His mentor Brett didn't just tell him the answer. "Having Brett as my mentor has been more than meaningful," Russell says. "He's someone I instantly connected with, and he's guided me toward where I need to be as I enter the workforce. He's challenged me to think deeply about what it really means to live out my faith, and that's something I'll carry with me."

Learning What's Essential

Other students found clarity in unexpected places. Caleb Vader spent his whole life in school, fixated on achievement. Through small hangouts with his mentor Farrin — frisbee golf, shooting, dinner table conversations — he learned something crucial: "Life isn't all about your achievements. It's important to slow down and really enjoy God's gift of life."

Ransom Smith, a newlywed, valued his mentor Cole's guidance on managing work-life balance with a wife and children, navigating insurance and retirement, and understanding how career decisions impact family life. "We talked way more about life and hobbies in general than just nitty gritty engineering," Smith says. "I hope I can pour into future students the same way Cole has done for me."

Support for Women in Engineering

For women entering male-dominated fields, Ignite provides particularly valuable support. Morgan Maxfield worked with Keiko, who offered insights into challenges she may face as a woman stepping into leadership. "From navigating those dynamics with confidence and integrity, to learning how to work efficiently and manage my time well, Keiko's guidance has been practical and empowering."

Dahlia Carillo-Sanchez found the same kind of support from her mentor Jillian. "She's given me a new perspective on being a woman in a male-dominated space and showed me how motherhood and a career can coexist. What began as mentorship became a real friendship. Jillian has been a gift from God in a crucial season of my life."

Grace Tully discovered something similar. "From the start, Gabi was more than just a mentor — she quickly became someone I consider a friend. Our conversations moved seamlessly from budgeting advice and career goals to our favorite board games and hiking spots. Gabi became the unexpected blessing I didn't know I needed."

That's the gift of being known. And for Ignite students, it has made all the difference.