I3@USD-Fall 2025

Training the Leaders of Tomorrow One Scholar at a Time I f a student’s journey through college is one chapter of their story, Rhonda Harley, PhD, By Allyson Meyer

It’s not just that

we’re training them

to succeed, which

we want them

long program, consisting of six workshops, includes opportunities for students to put career development into practice — from mock interviews to conversations with industry professionals. “When students graduate from universities, they have their heads full of theories, but they’re not really prepared for what life ahead in that job might be,” says advisory board member and program mentor Katie Busch-Sorensen. “The aim for us was to open the students up to realize what the possibilities are, because engineers can pretty much do anything.” Over the course of a year, students interact with industry mentors and take part in workshop discussions about strengths, negotiation and interviewing, as well as ethical and legal considerations for the workforce. “Every student who has gone through this program has learned something from others and learned something about themselves that will help them for ‘life after USD,’ as I call it,” says Harley. “Whether you’re going to grad school, the Peace Corps or gainful employment, you’ve learned something about yourself.”

gives them the tools to write their manuscript. “I often say, ‘You have the pen in your hand, and you are writing your undergraduate story,’ ” she says. “How do you want this chapter to read?” As the assistant dean of student engagement and inclusive excellence at the University of San Diego’s Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, Harley is no stranger to career development, having spent much of the past decade as the assistant director of career development, serving as the liaison to engineering and computer science students. Now, Harley is focused on a new task — the engineering school’s Industry Scholars Program — a leadership and professional development program curated for engineering and computer science students. Born out of an engineering Executive Advisory Board meeting in 2017, the program has grown over the past few years under Harley’s leadership, seeing student applications and participation more than double. This year

to, we want them

to lead as well.

The Industry Scholars Program enriches the USD college experience, which Harley sees as equipping students with a well-rounded education that celebrates both the technical and the non-technical. “The teaching happens inside the classroom as well as outside the classroom. They’re learning how to communicate effectively, how to problem solve, how to work in teams, how to critically think, and how to be savvy about what they want to achieve.” For Harley, the Industry Scholars Program directly contributes to the students’ future success, which helps them to write that next chapter. She emphasizes the lasting impact of the program, adding, “I believe there’s a lot of value in it for the student in the academic year, but I think it’ll last for moons to come after they’ve gone off to greener pastures.”

For Walt Foley, an advisory board member and program mentor, it’s about educating the next generation of professionals who are not just technically skilled, but who will also become leaders focused on fostering a culture of care and empathy in their fields. “This program does a great job in prepping engineering students for the human side of the real world they will be stepping into,” Foley says. “I marvel at their persistence in not just succeeding in a technical profession, but in excelling, with all of life’s challenges.” Throughout the year, the mentors watch as the participants grow, learning more about themselves and embracing an active role in their post‑graduation success. “We’ve had students come into the program who were pretty timid. Over the two semesters, we see them blossom,” says Tom Lupfer, a USD

trustee, a professor of practice and a program mentor. “It’s fun to see the growth of the students in the program, the maturation and the recognition of the importance of the concepts we’re talking about that are generally not discussed in the classroom. We’re trying to train the leaders of the industry. It’s not just that we’re training them to succeed — which we want them to — we want them to lead as well.” The industry and alumni mentors participating in the program find it rewarding to be part of the journey. “Having these curated, intimate connections with these students, you learn so much,” says engineering alumna mentor, Maaron Tesfaye Bea ’19 (ME), who serves on the Engineering and Computer Science Alumni Council. “USD gave me so much. The best way I can give back directly is with my time. It energizes me and hopefully provides benefits to these students.”

— Tom Lupfer

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