Mentoring stories

Left: Mentee Izzie Alderton. Right: Mentor Tim Stannard

Second year BSc Marketing and Management with Psychology (with a professional placement year) student Izzie Alderton learnt about the Global Mentoring Programme during one of her shifts as a Student Ambassador and thought it was a good opportunity to learn more about the automotive and motorsports industry, a field she is very passionate about.

Her mentor Tim Stannard graduated from Sussex in 1995 with a BA in International Relations with French. Tim is a Sports Content Manager for BeIN SPORTS USA, a leading sports television network in the United States, where he now lives. He first mentored as part of the Global Mentoring Programme in 2022.

Tim and Izzie met online during the 2025/26 Global Mentoring Programme and Tim said he volunteered again to be a mentor because “each occasion is completely different from the last” and “the programme has been a hugely rewarding experience”.

Their mentoring relationship shows how our University of Sussex volunteering community support Sussex students, helping them to build a network and make the connection between their academic study and the professional job market.

What made you apply for the mentoring programme?

Izzie: “I am looking to join the more difficult industry of automotive/motorsports, and I thought this would be a great option for gaining insights from within the industry.”

Tim: “In previous years, the programme has been a hugely rewarding experience as a mentor, and I was delighted to be invited to do it again. Each occasion is completely different from the last, with mentees all with differing ideas on their career journey or challenges they face.”

What have you gained from your mentoring relationship?

Izzie: “Expertise from within the sports marketing and motorsports industry, which enabled me to build confidence when it came to applying for placement opportunities. It also gave me future career options within the industry that I haven’t previously thought about. I learnt too about different ways to keep up with the industry, allowing me to easily incorporate constantly learning into my everyday life almost without realising. I really feel like I gained someone who knows the path that I want to take for the future and is rooting for me at every step of the way.”

Tim: “I am based in the United States, so it is a great opportunity for me to reconnect with the UK and also give something back to my old university after many happy years there. Even if there is just a single takeaway or useful piece of guidance offered to my mentee, that is reward enough. On a practical level, the programme also helps keep me in touch with the job market in my professional field and what particular employers are looking for and also see what students have included in their courses.”

“I gained someone who knows the path that I want to take for the future and is rooting for me at every step of the way.”

Izzie Alderton (BSc Marketing and Management with Psychology 2024)

What would you say to someone considering a mentoring relationship?

Izzie: “Absolutely take the opportunity – any insights, expertise and knowledge from someone within an industry of interest is invaluable.

Make the most out of it by taking on board the advice given and incorporating it into your life. Your mentor will be there for anything that you might need help with so just ask and create a relationship where you feel you can be open and honest, even if this is positively or negatively.”

Tim: “100% go for it. On some occasions, the relationship might just be one or two sessions, or it can remain long term after the official period is over. If you can give just one piece of practical advice to a mentee or help them with a big decision, that may be enough to make a huge difference in their future.”

Do you have any advice for students and recent graduates thinking of approaching a mentor?

Izzie: “Have a pitch style message ready that outlines who you are, what you are looking to gain insights into and the potential of the mentoring relationship. I would reach out even if you don’t think that they might be interested as you honestly don’t know where any of it will lead.

Think about all the possible career pathways that you find interesting and then see if there would be a good fit for you within them to open up your future possibilities.”

Tim: “Even if it is just a single session with someone who works day-to-day in your  potential field, then it is worth doing. The programme is for you to take advantage of and use to your needs. If you are linked with someone who works close to but not exactly in the professional field in question, the experience is worth it.”

“If you can give one piece of practical advice to a mentee, that may be enough to make a huge difference in their future.”

Tim Stannard (BA in International Relations with French, 1991)

How did taking part in the mentoring programme expand your network?

Izzie: “It really expanded my perspective on different career options, ones that I previously hadn’t even considered and are now areas of my aspiring industry that I am pursuing.

I also joined more webinars from within the automotive industry and put myself forward for roles within the industry that potentially I wouldn’t have known about before.”

How did taking part in the Global Mentoring Programme boost your employability skills?

Izzie: “It boosted my communication skills in terms of being able to pitch myself and being able to convey exactly what I am looking to achieve both online and in person. It also helped me to have the confidence to chase my aspirations.  Online communication skills really helped me with virtual placement interviews.

I also gained networking skills by developing the ability to be able to talk with someone completely new online about an industry that I am keen to learn more about but am still new to.”

How did the mentoring programme make you feel reconnected to Sussex?

Tim: “I left Sussex more years ago than I would want to count and I left the UK over twenty years ago, so it is fantastic to see that the university is still going from strength to strength, and every year, more incredible, talented students with huge futures are still passing through.

It's also good to know that East Slope is still standing, somehow. Though I have heard, which may be of interest to my fellow 1990s alumni, that the Grapevine is no more!”

While Izzie and Tim met through the mentoring programme, you don’t need the University to organise mentoring relationships on your behalf. You can find your own mentor on Sussex Connect. Simply create an account, search for alumni already in the industry you’re interested in and send them a message. Make sure to look out for those who say they are ‘Willing to help’ in their profile.

Back to news list