Mentoring the Midd Way

Alumni help students find their paths

When JD Ballard ’15 was a student at Middlebury, he landed his first post-college job through a Middlebury alum. So did Meegan Moszynski ’01. 

The cycle of alumni helping students transition from college to career runs strong at Middlebury, and is made even stronger today through Midd2Midd. Launched in 2019, the program features more than 11,000 alumni, parents, and other members of the Middlebury College community who are willing to share career advice from around the world and virtually every career field imaginable. 

Midd2Midd welcomes new members, who can customize their level of involvement with the platform to suit their availability and interests. Over the last five years, the program has helped Midd alumni switch careers, join affinity groups, and lend advice to current students as they find their own career paths.  

Both Ballard and Moszynski are members of Midd2Midd and volunteer as MiddMentors, a program under the Midd2Midd umbrella in which alumni work one-on-one with students over the course of a year to help them plan their post-Middlebury journeys, make connections with people in the field, and more. 

Starting in a student’s sophomore year, Middlebury’s Center for Careers and Internships pairs undergraduates with alumni mentors whose backgrounds match the student’s interests. This fall, CCI made 105 new MiddMentor matches between students and alumni. 

“It’s an easy way to help out,” said Ballard, who works in the finance industry. “It is fun to have students ask you about what you do and for them to be genuinely curious.”

“I wish I had a program like this when I was a student,” said Moszynski, who has had a career in nonprofit management.

We asked Moszynski and Ballard to share their experiences as MiddMentors.

Meegan Moszynski ’01

Major: International Studies with a minor in Italian

Current job: Nonprofit consultant; managing director of United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association

How did you help?

Moszynski has mentored several Middlebury undergraduates over the last few years. She has found them to be well-prepared and motivated but said they often can use help translating their academic experience to the non-academic world. 

“I’ve really enjoyed working with my current mentee, Mack Briglin (’26.5, a political science major from Vermont). He’s involved in everything. A lot of what I try to teach him is about recognizing the experience you have had and how it really does genuinely make you a great candidate for these jobs.”

Another of her mentees with a background in data analysis came to her looking for help finding a summer job with a nonprofit. “I explained to him the unique skills that sometimes nonprofits don’t understand they need. I said, ‘Don’t worry if they have an opening or not—submit a proposal to them.’ He did and it worked. He had a great experience.” 

The takeaway?

“Recognize that being a mentor does take time, but these students really look up to alumni and will follow through on the advice you’re giving. If you’re willing to talk about your experience and provide guidance that maybe you didn’t get, or you are looking to hire, you can get something out of it too.”

JD Ballard ’15

Major: Physics

Current job: Executive director at Nomura, a global financial services firm

How did you help?

Ballard started working with Tenzin Dhonden ’25 during Dhonden’s sophomore year, providing the English major from Queens, New York, with the kind of personal connection that is key to landing a job in the finance industry. The two talked roughly every other month for about a half-hour each time. Ballard answered questions the first-generation student had, helped him through the process of applying for internships at Nomura and elsewhere, and introduced him to other people within his company. 

“It’s a hyper-competitive process getting into these financial jobs,” Ballard said. “It’s very hard to get in unless you have some kind of connection.”

The takeaway?

Dhonden impressed Ballard, then went on to impress Ballard’s colleagues, completing a successful internship at Nomura before being offered a highly coveted full-time job, which awaits him after graduation in May. “He’s a very nice person—thoughtful, and has a genuine interest in finance. It was great to be able to help him,” Ballard said.

Midd2Midd by the Numbers

Midd2Midd provides a search engine that allows users to make career connections based on industry, location, class year, affinity, and more. Life-changing conversations are happening on the platform every single day. The program has seen robust growth during its five-year history. Here’s a snapshot of what Midd2Midd looks like today: 

• Midd2Midd members: 7,000+ alumni, 2,000+ students, and 300+ parents
• MiddMentors: More than 800 alumni have signed up to be MiddMentors, including 100 who identified as first-generation college students
• Worldwide reach: Midd2Midd users are spread across the globe, in every continent, with 500+ users abroad and 60 countries represented
• Across industries: The top industries represented by alumni users are: Education; Social Impact & Nonprofit; Consulting; Startups & Entrepreneurship; and Technology
• MiddMentorships completed: More than 400 long-term mentorships have been completed, with the 2024-2025 MiddMentor class currently active
• Across ages: Alumni from every decade are represented on Midd2Midd, from the Class of 1949 to the Class of 2024
• Connections made: 35,000+ messages have been exchanged between Midd2Midd users
• Results achieved: 94% of users found their interactions to be meaningful

Alumni—Want to lend your expertise?

No matter where your professional journey took you after graduation, students want to learn from you, whether it is as a MiddMentor or by being available to offer occasional advice through Midd2Midd. If you are interested in giving back to your Middlebury community or joining a group of your peers, join Midd2Midd today. 

You can sign up at midd2midd.middlebury.edu, or if you have questions, email Lindsey Baldwin, assistant director, Alumni-Student Mentoring and Engagement.