Inside the Forever Buffs Network Mentorship Program
A good mentor can offer advice. A great mentor can help you see what’s possible.
That’s the idea behind the Forever Buffs Network Mentorship Program, which connects the University of Colorado Boulder students and recent alumni with Buffs who are ready to help guide the next generation. Mentorship matches are based on professional interests, career goals and personal preferences, but participants don’t need to share the same background to make a meaningful connection.
Sometimes, a new perspective is exactly what you need.
Mentors Jake Loskutoff (Comm’03) and Jen Davies (Jour, MediaSt’09) and mentees Muhammad Ali (Jour’27) and Luke Ruhl (IntlAf’25) shared what brought them to the program, what they learned from one another and how mentorship strengthened their connection to the Forever Buffs community.
What brought you to the mentorship program?
Jake Loskutoff, mentor:
Initially, I joined to make myself available to students who could benefit from my experience and network. But I keep coming back because of the perspective I gain from connecting and collaborating with others. Hearing what students and recent graduates are experiencing gives me a perspective I don’t necessarily encounter at this stage of my own career.
Jen Davies, mentor:
I love giving back to the CU community. My time in Boulder was transformative, and after having a great experience as a mentee in a previous session, I wondered whether my skills and experience could help someone else.
Muhammad Ali, mentee:
I wanted to learn from CU graduates who had experience navigating the transition from school to professional life. I was especially interested in practical advice about preparing for my career, understanding industry expectations and learning from someone who had already made that transition.
Luke Ruhl, mentee:
I joined while I was searching for my first job after graduating. I had already been connecting with alumni, recruiters and other professionals to learn as much as I could about different industries and what professional life was really like. The mentorship program felt like an opportunity to build a more personal connection with someone who shared my CU Boulder background.
What made the connection meaningful?
Jake:
I like that the relationship doesn’t have to end with the program. These are people I may hire, recommend, work alongside or call years from now. I don’t really see it as building a temporary mentor-mentee relationship. I see it as starting a professional relationship earlier.
Jen:
Ali and I have been able to connect over family and our different backgrounds, and I’ve found that incredibly fulfilling. There’s more that we have in common than what makes us different. I’ve also learned from his expertise in AI and media, which wasn’t something I expected when I entered the program.
Muhammad:
Having someone experienced to turn to for practical advice made the mentorship especially valuable. My mentor helped me improve my resume, which I was able to use successfully in my job search. She also offered guidance and encouragement during moments when I felt stressed about my career and what came next.
Luke:
For me, it was flexibility. I started the program without a job, and then everything changed when I accepted my first corporate role. My goals for mentorship changed with it. My mentor met me where I was and became one of my biggest advocates, whether I was navigating the job search or figuring out this new stage of my career.
What did you learn along the way?
Jake:
The further I get from starting my own career, the easier it is to forget what it felt like to try to get someone to take a chance on me. These conversations have reminded me of that. They’ve also changed how I evaluate people professionally. I find myself asking more about where someone wants to go, what they’re curious about and how they think, not just what they’ve already done.
Jen:
I learned that I had undervalued my own experience. Before becoming a mentor, I discounted some of what I had learned as not being enough to provide value to someone else. Mentorship has challenged me to recognize what I can offer while also looking for blind spots in my own understanding.
Muhammad:
I learned that having strong academic and professional experience is important, but presenting those experiences effectively matters, too. My mentor helped me recognize my strengths and communicate them more clearly. That has given me greater confidence as I prepare for my career.
Luke:
I’ve learned that I can be too hard on myself. When I started my job, I wanted to be a problem solver and a top performer right away. My mentor helped me think differently about work-life balance, setting boundaries and giving myself time to grow. I’m learning that you can’t solve everything, and you don’t have to. Growth takes time.
How has participating in the program strengthened your connection to the Forever Buffs community?
Jake:
It’s made being a Forever Buff feel less like an alumni designation and more like an ongoing connection. I get to hear what current students are thinking about, what they’re worried about and what they want from their careers.
Jen:
Because I no longer live close to campus, it can sometimes feel like I’m far away from the CU community. The mentorship program reminded me that being a Forever Buff isn’t measured by distance. Every call and message has helped me feel connected to the community again.
Muhammad:
The program showed me that the CU community continues to support students beyond the classroom. Connecting with an alum and learning from her experience also encouraged me to stay involved. I hope I can support other Buffs in the future just as my mentor supported me.
Luke:
My relationship with my mentor showed me that the Forever Buffs community isn’t just a resource but a personal support network. As CU graduates, we have this community for life. I hope I can carry that forward and someday use what I’ve learned to support other Buffs on their journeys.
Find your connection
You never know what one conversation or connection might lead to.
Hear more from Forever Buffs mentors and mentees.