LEWISTON, Maine -- In mid-April, the Bates men's soccer program held their second annual Alumni Mentoring Night for current players in Commons. It was the highlight of another strong year for the Alumni Mentorship Program, which has continued to grow under head coach Ben Brewster.

James Peter '22, George Carr '07, David Shear '06, and J.P. Fingado '90 returned to campus and spoke with the current Bobcats about their careers and times at Bates.

Peter was a biological chemistry major and is a senior research associate at Nava Therapeutics. Carr was a psychology major and is a Certified Financial Planner and Principal at R.M. Davis, a wealth management firm. Shear majored in economics and is on the Board of Directors at Krispy Kreme. And Fingado was an economics major and is the CEO of Intelvio, a leading provider of allied health and workforce education solutions.

"The most important lesson that I've learned so far in a very young career -- and what I've heard over and over again from leaders in my field -- is that your career should, especially early on, grow out instead of up," Peter said. "You can learn so many different things early in your career and just sponge up information. Learn about all the different jobs that exist out there before you really go for something." 

The mentorship program extends beyond the one night, with year-round opportunities for the current Bobcats to learn from those who came before them.

"It's fantastic, really fun," Brewster said. "Everybody on the team has two different alumni mentors from industries they are interested in and we currently have 90 Bates soccer alumni that are part of the mentorship program." 

The seniors preparing to enter the "real world" paid particularly close attention to the knowledge being shared.

"They told us, it's okay if you haven't figured it all out," Isaac Nimako '26 said. "They didn't have it figured out all at the start. If you're having trouble, that's okay. It's part of life, just roll with it. Say yes to opportunities, say yes to communication, say yes to connections." 

The mentors in attendance shared some of their favorite Bates memories, including working in the local community.

"I participated in a mentorship program with Lewiston Elementary School kids when I was at Bates, and that was pretty eye-opening for me," Shear said. "I grew up in a very different type of town so to see all the varied backgrounds of these students was a valuable experience." 

In an ever-changing world, the mentors emphasized the things that are still the same when it comes to building a successful career.

"You have to be able to communicate," Fingado said. "Sit down and have a meal with somebody. That has not changed at all. But people are less able to make that connection. They are stuck on their phones, doing everything over email or text. You have to have a conversation." 

Carr agreed that, "You can really stand out if you are an effective communicator," and added "The relationships you have in this room are going to be very important going forward and there's a pretty good chance you'll be able to get a job through one of them." 

The current Bobcats enjoyed seeing that Shear and Carr are still good friends two decades after their final matches as Bobcats.

"It's very comforting to know that David's been graduated, what, over 20 years now, and he's still friends with the boys," Nimako said. "It was an amazing night, good food, good vibes, good knowledge, good advice. So it was a success all-around. We're very, very grateful."