SEAOSC Mentorship Program
How the Program Works:
The Mentorship Program provides the opportunity for SEAOSC Members to participate as a mentor or mentee or both, to build up the profession by sharing knowledge and experience, cultivating community, and inspiring future leaders. Historically, it has been very rewarding to past participants, so much so, that many have repeated the program. Based on the review of the mentor and mentee applications, the program pairs two people at various career levels (mid-level and senior level, emerging level and mid-level, or emerging level and senior level) who would meet monthly in a structured setting at a time of their choice with prompts from the program to address key issues and also check-in on goals. This allows for a deeper connection between two people, the ability to talk about more personal issues, and a chance to build a lasting relationship that continues beyond the structured format of the program. Mentor/mentee matches are in place for 12 months and can be renewed if all parties agree. Each month, mentors and mentees meet to create a relationship and move towards defined goals. Mentors would be matched based on 3 levels of experience:
- Established Member: 25+ years
- Mid-level Member: on average 10-15 years
- Emerging Members: less than 10 years
These meetings would be structured and last for 60-90 minutes. The mentor mentee pairing would be for approximately 12 months. SEAOSC would have a mentor program coordinator to facilitate the matches, provide training and support to mentors and mentees, and be a resource to make the matches successful.
Mentor Screening, Matching, & Support:
Mentor Program Coordinators will begin with an initial screening that includes an intake form to help determine the best match for the mentor/mentee. The mentors will have brief check-ins with the Program Coordinators throughout the year to offer and receive feedback on the match. The Program Coordinators will work to support the resolution of any issues or challenges that arise and can also be accessed for challenges that a mentor is asked about that they need support with.
Committee Misson & Charges
The SEAOSC Mentorship Committee aims to foster professional growth, innovation, and collaboration by connecting experienced engineers with emerging talent. Through mentorship, we aim to cultivate leadership, enhance technical expertise, and inspire a culture of lifelong learning, ensuring the continued advancement of the engineering profession within our community.
History and Acknowledgement:
In 2019, the Women in Structural Engineering Committee (WiSE) identified mentorship as a need as well as a strategy to encourage career engagement, advancement, and satisfaction for the Members of SEAOSC. The WiSE Mentorship subcommittee spent the next few years conducting research and developing mentorship resources and materials and launched the official Mentorship Program in 2022. Through the efforts of WiSE, resources such as the mentor and mentee handbooks and the Program structure have been established so that future chairs and committee members could continue running the Program with minimal yearly maintenance. As of 2024, what started as a subcommittee within WiSE has now grown into its own Mentorship Committee under SEAOSC. We would like to acknowledge SEAONC and the SE3 Committee for their partnership in sharing research, materials, and lessons learned to develop a successful Mentorship Program.
Get In Touch
Mentorship@seaosc.og
Committee Chairs
Araceli Abanilla
STV, Inc.
Araceli is a licensed PE with over 20 years of engineering design and management experience in the LA area. Araceli is a Principal and Senior Engineer at STV, Inc. on major transportation and infrastructure projects that support the transit and rail industry. She has worked on a broad range of projects, including bus, light rail, heavy rail, airports, municipal buildings, schools, libraries, medical facilities, and roadway and pedestrian bridges. Araceli has also spent time working with composite materials in the anti-terrorist force protection sector of structural engineering. Araceli serves as Co-Chair of the SEAOSC Mentorship Committee as well as being actively involved in the SEAOSC Women in Structural Engineering (WiSE) committee and a past Director on the SEAOSC Board. She has been a past alumni career mentor at UC San Diego, a past ACE Mentor and a UC Education Abroad Program Scholarship selection committee member. She was also part of STV's inaugural Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Council. Araceli is a native Angelino. She received her B.S. from UC Irvine and her M.S. from UC San Diego.
Hannah Valentine
American Institute of Steel Construction
Hannah is the AISC Structural Steel Specialist for the greater Los Angeles region. She works with architects, engineers, and general contractors to identify ways in which domestically produced and fabricated steel may be utilized to generate optimal building design solutions. She brings to AISC her previous design experience as a structural engineer working on large-scale steel projects in the sports, commercial, and education sectors. Hannah currently serves as a Director on the Structural Engineering Association of New York (SEAoNY) Board and Co-Chair of the SEAoNY Diversity Committee. She works with organizations such as AIA Diversity & Inclusion, ASCE Met Section, and Qu-AKE (Queer Advocacy & Knowledge Exchange) to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the built environment professions. As a past mentor for the LA Promise Fund Intern Project and ACE Mentor Program, she strives to widen the education pipeline to the built environment professions. She received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Pennsylvania State University.