Vonderhaar credits mentor with fueling enthusiasm and excitement for future career

By Ellie Vonderhaar
Communication mentee

On March 22, I shadowed my MUAA Mentor Program mentor Brad West, Comm ’01 and senior account manager for FGS in Chicago. FGS is a solution partner that works with the NFL and other fun and interesting clients. I got to the office and was greeted by the most welcoming and kind people. One of my favorite parts of the office was the expansion and changes they were going through. FGS has grown exceptionally fast over the last 5-10 years. They have knocked down walls to create more space for their growth.

Brad and I were able to meet for a couple of hours about my experiences and how they reflect his. He told me how he landed in a job that he never planned for or expected. It was comforting to see first-hand that every step of the way is a good experience and eventually I will find what works for me. The work FGS does is very similar to my current job, so it was nice to be able to relate to different aspects of the office.

In addition, Brad organized for me to meet with the president of the company. He gave me great advice that was focused more on my quality of life rather than simply the business world. He told me that no matter what I do, that I should feel like what I am doing is important. In addition, I should always be happy with what I am doing or “showing your teeth” as he put it. He made me feel so valued and welcomed. He also gave me his business card as well as connected with me on LinkedIn. He mentioned that I could reach out to him at any time, but if I continue doing what I am doing that I would be a competitor of FGS (he isn’t worried, but maybe he should be – just kidding!).

As a second semester senior, my future career and life is starting to become very real. The opportunity to shadow Brad made me so excited for my potential future career. I felt so welcome that all of my nerves of the day immediately went away. I’m so glad that I was matched with Brad, a mentor in a position that is exactly what I want to be doing. Working with him has exceeded all of my expectations and I’m so thankful.

2018-19 MUAA Mentor Program Resource Guide