Mentorship

What we do:
Mentorship is among the most personal and impactful tenets of the Wyakin program. A rewarding Community Mentor relationship supports our program’s foundational concepts while empowering, challenging, engaging, and inspiring each Warrior. These relationships extend through graduation and, in many cases, continue to flourish beyond. As graduation approaches, a Professional Mentor is strategically assigned to offer substantive career guidance, foster connectivity, and enhance career potential.

Why:
Connectivity is an essential part of any life transition. Mentorship cultivates a transformational experience by establishing trust and providing advocacy and guidance upon which our Warriors can depend.

Education/Emergent Grants

What we do:
Warriors actively engaged in the Wyakin program are eligible for an accountability-based monthly grant to cover ancillary educational expenses, which can hinder academic success. Application-based grant funding is also available to pursue educational opportunities beyond the classroom or address unplanned expenses that might otherwise cause an interruption in the Warrior’s educational plan.

Why:
Personal finance can be a significant challenge upon leaving the military – especially for a student veteran. We assist our Warriors by providing a measure of financial stability that allows them to stay focused on moving forward.

Community Impact

What we do:
Community Impact serves to build valuable project management skills while providing networking opportunities and fostering community engagement through service. Using the tools and guidance that we provide, Warriors participate in a project that goes far beyond volunteerism in scope and reignites a desire to serve the greater good. Thousands of people are touched through the efforts of our Warriors to impact their community at large.

Why:
Purpose is a fundamental human need. The opportunity to impact the surrounding community – often through serving others experiencing a life transition of their own – provides a critical bridge by allowing our Warriors to understand that service comes in many forms, all of which matter.

Professional Development

What we do:
Our professional development process starts with a Career Development Plan (CDP) laying out a clear pathway for each Warrior to reach their academic, professional, and career goals. Expert résumé and interview consulting enhance professional development to ensure our Warriors put their best foot forward in the career search process. Local and national subject-matter experts deliver seminars, workshops, and individualized coaching to form a curriculum that complements each Warrior’s educational program, developing our Warriors into “best-in-class” talent by cultivating the behaviors and soft-skills that are most in demand by today’s employers.

Why:
Today’s employers know that when an employee relationship fails, it is rarely due to a lack of expertise but rather a lack of the fundamental personal skills necessary to thrive in a professional environment. By arming our Warriors with these skills, we send them out with everything they need to be their best professional selves.

Networking

What we do:
Networking is much more than simply a job search tool. We create numerous opportunities for our Warriors to foster dynamic and mutually beneficial relationships on every level throughout the community. These relationships form a personal and professional “resource pool” that can provide sustained support, expertise, and advocacy throughout a Warrior’s career.

Why:
No one succeeds alone. The ability to build rapport and cultivate strong relationships creates in each Warrior an essential collective strength borne of the diverse experiences of their extended network. We provide both opportunities to network and the skills to do it well.

Wyakin for Life

What we do:
We are more than a fleeting influence in our Warrior’s lives. We maintain connectivity with every Wyakin alumni through candid, ongoing dialogue to ensure their continued stability and engage them in giving back to the Warriors that follow as volunteers and mentors with the Wyakin program. When Wyakin alums need personal or professional assistance, the greater-Wyakin family stands ready to help.

Why:
In Native legend, a Wyakin is a guardian that protects a Warrior for life. We take that seriously and literally. Our alums are assured a lifetime of connectivity.