What are we?
The Professional Associates of Fort Lewis College is an organization comprising persons with substantial professional, business, or academic experiences and skills. The organization endeavors to use this reservoir of expertise in support of Fort Lewis College’s role as a multifaceted learning resource for its students and for the people of the Four Corners region. Specifically, members of the Professional Associates seek:

• To support Fort Lewis College students through volunteer mentoring, and by providing information about internships, scholarships, admission to professional and graduate schools, and about career opportunities;
• To support the Fort Lewis College faculty through a variety of activities that assist the faculty’s development and that provide classroom assistance at the faculty’s request;
• To sponsor and promote appropriate learning opportunities and activities for the community. Each semester the highly successful Life-Long Learning program presents weekly lectures or panel discussions for the entire college and the Durango community on a wide variety of topics.

Who are we?
Members of the Professional Associates of Fort Lewis College are residents of the Four Corners area who have pursued successful careers in many areas of the United States and elsewhere, and who have a strong desire to enhance the educational environment of Fort Lewis College.

Among the approximately 45 members are academics with expertise in the arts, business, economics, education, humanities, medical fields, and the sciences. In addition, the membership includes professionals active in architecture, community service, education, engineering, government, health services, law, management, and medicine.

How can we help students?
Members are prepared to help students by offering individual mentoring services on a volunteer basis with approval of appropriate faculty. A mentor might act as a sounding board or coach as a student makes decisions about career or life choices. A mentor stands ready to share expertise and knowledge with a student who might gain a more realistic and useful understanding of career paths and choices or of the variety of post-graduate opportunities in the professional, business, or academic arenas.

Upon request, members can serve as a resource to classes or academic clubs, or as participants with students or faculty in other small group settings.