RISEBA Alumni Mentoring Club – Experience That Inspires Professional and Personal Growth
Mentoring is widely recognised as one of the most effective ways to support students’ professional and personal development. It provides an opportunity to learn from experienced industry professionals, develop key competencies, expand professional networks, and make more informed career decisions.
The RISEBA Alumni Mentoring Programme is an important part of the student experience, complementing academic knowledge with practical insights while strengthening collaboration between students, alumni, and industry professionals. Since its launch in 2020, the programme has become an integral part of the RISEBA community, bringing together alumni and professionals from a wide range of industries who voluntarily share their expertise, provide guidance, and encourage students to achieve both their academic and professional goals. Today, students have access to more than 90 mentors, creating extensive opportunities for individual mentoring relationships. In addition, RISEBA CONNECT networking events are organised each semester to foster meaningful professional connections.
During the 2025/2026 academic year, 19 mentoring partnerships were established through the RISEBA Alumni Mentoring Programme. Over several months, students worked closely with their alumni mentors, gaining valuable insights into their future career paths, strengthening their leadership and communication skills, expanding their professional networks, and building greater confidence in their career development.
This year, we would especially like to highlight the experience of Irina Baklanova, a second-year Bachelor’s student in Public Relations and Advertising Management, who participated in the mentoring programme organised by the Latvian Association of Public Relations Professionals (LASAP). For several years, the programme has provided aspiring communication specialists with the opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals in the field.
Reflecting on her experience, Irina shared:
“I am truly grateful to the LASAP community and its Chair, Kristine Tjarve, for creating an environment where I could not only learn from experienced communication professionals but also remain completely authentic. My sincere thanks also go to my mentor, Jana Roze, for her encouragement, guidance, and invaluable support throughout this journey, as well as to the mentoring programme coordinator, Maira Bokmane. During the programme, I successfully carried out a community survey and engaged local residents in the creation of a safe, creative, and child-friendly neighbourhood courtyard. Together with a team of experts, we also developed the interactive puppet theatre performance ‘Pagalms’, which I warmly invite everyone to explore.”
A particularly memorable moment of the programme was the graduation ceremony for the LASAP mentoring programme participants, held as part of LASAP’s 25th anniversary celebrations. The event, organised in partnership with Vivi, took place aboard a special train journey to Sigulda, bringing together public relations professionals, partners, and emerging communication specialists. The welcoming and professional atmosphere highlighted the importance of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and a strong professional community while celebrating a shared vision for the future.
Looking ahead, RISEBA plans to further strengthen its mentoring initiatives through closer cooperation with Latvia’s leading professional associations. These partnerships will provide students with even more opportunities to collaborate with experienced professionals, gain first-hand insight into the workplace, develop practical skills, and build valuable professional networks that will serve as a strong foundation for their future careers.
