UT Southwestern’s Business Resource Groups (BRGs) and mentorship program leave lasting impact

UT Southwestern’s Business Resource Groups (BRGs) were created to offer a positive, inclusive environment facilitating personal growth and institutional advancement. Open to all UTSW community members, the BRGs cultivate a sense of community, belonging, and support, providing a space where members can connect and share experiences.

A BRG membership enables opportunities to network, establish meaningful connections, and expand learning opportunities. It also promotes peer engagement and mentorship across departments campuswide. As an outgrowth of the BRGs, a BRG Mentorship Program was launched in 2019 to support the UTSW community.

This program starts with a new cohort every January and fosters partnerships among colleagues to further personal and professional development. The yearlong mentorship program provides mentees who participate an opportunity to develop confidence, build competence, and receive guidance from experienced professionals. Mentors share knowledge to help nurture and guide the next generation of leaders. In January, the fourth BRG Mentorship Program began, providing all participants with opportunities to gain insight into the year ahead.

The program assists mentor and mentee pairs in developing effective mentoring relationships and is open to all BRG members. The Mentorship Program is also supported by a monthly newsletter and leadership development series.

Former mentees have said the program helped them achieve goals, while both mentors and mentees emphasized the positive relationships they developed. Mentees shared how their mentors helped contribute to their personal and academic milestones at UTSW.

“I was fortunate to get matched with my mentor in the BRG Mentorship Program. She was an amazing role model and great resource for me,” said Mia Dinh, Project Manager, Audit, for the Office of Institutional Compliance and Audit Service. “She gave me a lot of practical advice and support to help me navigate a new position at UTSW, excel at it, and later get promoted. I appreciate her mentorship and sponsorship and am inspired to continue growing professionally and hope to pay it forward by mentoring others in the future.”

“My mentor demonstrated compassion during challenging discussions and helped me think through problems that I was encountering in my daily work. This perspective significantly impacted my approach to leadership and decision-making,” said Nancy Nelson, Talent Sourcing Partner for Human Resources Talent Acquisition.

Andre Hinton, Assistant Safety Officer in the Office of Safety and Business Continuity, served as a mentor in last year’s program. He said his mentoring experience was impactful, as helping others succeed is fundamental to one’s personal success.

“I’ve had great leaders in my life, so paying leadership forward inspired me to be a mentor. It was a powerful experience because I learned many valuable lessons of communication from listening more to my mentee instead of talking,” he said. “I encouraged my mentee to build strong professional and trusting relationships through networking, which can be instrumental to progress and promotional opportunities, and I enjoyed seeing those opportunities presented to them.”

For more information about the program or getting involved in the BRGs, visit the BRG website.