The career mentoring program enters its fourth round.
Kick-off celebration of GROW@Goethe: On May 7, numerous new mentees and their mentors gathered at the Casino on Goethe University’s Westend Campus. After a formal welcome by University President Prof. Dr. Enrico Schleiff and a keynote speech by alumna and mentor Anahita Khodaparast, the 240 guests made their first connections in relaxed roundtable conversations.
This year saw more participants than ever before: some 300 students have joined the mentoring program. They are accompanied by 214 mentors, most of them Goethe University alumni. Some mentors are guiding two or more mentees, while some mentees are participating for the second or even third time.
Since the Career Service first launched the program in 2023, about 900 students have been matched with professional mentors. Over the course of eight months, mentees can reflect on their career goals and grow through one-on-one meetings with their mentor. The meetings typically take place one to two times per month, offering mentees the chance to raise any questions or topics that matter to them.
“My mentor helped me optimize my CV during our first meeting, so I could apply for an internship,” says Fang-Yu Kuo, a Pharmaceutical Sciences student and new mentee. She and her mentor had already met twice – once in person and once online – before the official launch.
The program is especially valuable for international students, offering insights into German job application standards and workplace culture. German students also benefit greatly from the experience. Events like this and exchanges with mentors help them build networks that may open doors in the future.
President Schleiff emphasized this in his speech, too: “This network – these are phone numbers you’ll keep for life. It will support you during your entry into the job market, when you have questions or want to think outside the box.”
Turning to the mentors, he added: “Use the perspective shift that GROW@Goethe offers. These days, in our studies, research, and jobs, we’re so rushed that we rarely take time to engage with someone else’s perspective. GROW@Goethe makes that possible: to listen and look beyond disciplinary boundaries. I believe that’s exactly what our society needs today – to start listening to one another again, to respond to each other’s problems rather than rushing to be right. This network gives you that chance.”
In her keynote, mentor Anahita Khodaparast reflected on her own experience as a mentee, highlighting the power of listening: “At my first meeting with my mentor, I was nervous and had what felt like a hundred questions. She didn’t answer them all. Instead, she looked at me and asked: What do you need today? A solution? Or someone who just listens?” Her mentor also shared her own struggles, doubts, and uplifting moments during her studies. “I felt seen,” Anahita recalled, “and for the first time thought – okay, maybe I’m not alone with this.”
Now it’s time for the new mentees to have their own experiences. In addition to close exchanges with their mentors, GROW@Goethe offers workshops on professional skills and an optional coaching program through the Career Service. The closing event, where mentees and mentors can celebrate their progress, will take place on November 12. Whether mentoring partnerships continue beyond the eight months is entirely up to each tandem.
Jenny Werner
Want to get involved in GROW@Goethe or support the program with a donation? Contact: mentoring@uni-frankfurt.de
