Previously lacking much direction in his education or prospective career, Dante Tatem, a senior studying marketing, utilized resources available to him to succeed at the Costello College of Business at George Mason University and secure a job after graduation.
As he approaches his graduation date this May, Dante Tatem does not share the anxiety of many of his classmates–landing a job after graduation. That’s because he recently started with Enterprise Rent-A-Car as a management trainee, a position that will enable him to grow with the company. A few years ago, Tatem would not have believed where he is now. Growing up raised by a single mother and facing financial difficulties, he did not have any family members who attended college, and so it was never something that was really on his radar. “I feel like one of the challenges I had was kind of a lack of motivation for education,” he says. However, when he reached the end of his senior year in high school, he examined his career prospects and realized that he wanted to blaze a trail of his own, and hopefully inspire more of his family members to seek further education as well.
In the summer of 2022, Tatem was preparing to transfer from Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to George Mason University through the ADVANCE Program. ADVANCE is a collaborative initiative between George Mason and Virginia community colleges that enhances the transfer experience for students by providing support and removing common barriers. He did not waste any time in getting acclimated to his new educational environment. “I was going through my emails one day, and I saw a message that said Mason Mentors is available,” says Tatem. “It’s free for you, go ahead and sign up. I feel like it’s very important to have someone you know kind of as like a guiding light.”
Being a first-generation college student, he was eager to make connections with someone whose experience and wisdom could benefit him on his academic journey. Nancy Sydnor, BS Marketing ’99, a member of the Costello College of Business Alumni Chapter Council of Presidents, reached out to Tatem on the platform and they formed a strong connection. Sydnor was the marketing area’s outstanding student of the year in 1999. “When we first talked, I asked him what he wanted to get out of the mentorship,” she says. “He said somebody to be his cheerleader and to be in his corner, and I assured him that I could do that.” Over the past few years, they have regularly communicated together for everything from resume preparation to what kinds of courses and professions to pursue. They even bonded over mutual interests like watching soccer. “I was having a bit of financial issues, and I wanted answers from someone who has more life experience than me,” he says. “It’s reassuring to know that there’s somebody on my side as well.”
An existing skillset that Tatem already had before attending George Mason is that he is very personable. By speaking with his professors at NOVA and asking them questions, he realized that business was a career path that interested him. “One professor that I vividly remember owned a bar in Mexico, and just talking to him about his experiences, doing marketing, going to different shows, this seems really interesting,” he says. "And so that was one of those defining moments where I thought I could see myself going into that.” Working with Sydnor, who was also a marketing major, helped him discover his strengths and identify job positions where he could best utilize them.
“Not having a mentor would have definitely put more burden on me than what I really needed,” he says. “Whereas with Miss Nancy, I had someone to talk to, someone to text whenever I had struggles or was unsure.” He credits her mentorship with helping him land the position at Enterprise. “When I look at my resume now compared to what it was, like thank God I had Miss Nancy because she really helped me refine it,” he says. Dante Tatem is now a confident and skilled professional who is excited to graduate and take on the world. It is a position he put himself in by speaking with others, building relationships, and keeping an open mind.