4.21.25

Ramon Emmart ’15 mentors three Shocker Pride scholars

Ramon Emmart wasn’t your traditional student at Wichita State. A few years into his undergraduate studies, he left to join the workforce. But when he was continually met with closed doors, he realized how valuable a diploma would be for his career trajectory. He returned to school, and, in 2015, received the degree that would open up a world of possibilities in his career.

Now, the alum is helping current Shocker students work toward their professional aspirations as a Shocker Pride mentor.

Joshua Woods, associate director of alumni programming at the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement, reached out to Emmart before the 2024-25 cohort of scholars was announced in April 2024. “He’s the first person I thought of,” Woods said. “He’s just phenomenal at connecting people, and that’s exactly what the program is: connecting students with the Wichita community.”

Emmart jumped in to help and was assigned three mentees – Michelle Anderson, Kyla Gordon and Cole McAuliffe. Over the course of the academic year, Emmart organized site visits to companies around Wichita, including Cocoa Dolce, Bombardier and ProFillment. “It’s been a good way to show them what opportunities we can offer them in Wichita, which helps keep some of that young talent here in town,” he said.

The Shocker Pride mentor leaned on his professional network to connect his mentees to contacts that could speak more directly to their degrees. “Wichita is an easy place to meet who you want to meet, because the school is so much a part of the city,” Emmart said. “Whether it’s a councilmember or business owner, Wichita State students’ ability to network in the city is invaluable.”

Through site visits around town, mock interviews, résuméand email etiquette workshopping, and practicing elevator pitches, Emmart’s goal was to ready his mentees for what comes after college. And for all three students, that next step isn’t too distant; Anderson, Gordon and McAuliffe are set to graduate in May 2025. “I wanted to ensure they had the basic skills to succeed as they embark on this next journey,” he said.

As much as they’ve learned from him, Emmart says his role as a mentor is helping him get the pulse on what young professionals are looking for nowadays. And as the talent acquisition manager for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm Adams Brown, his connection to Wichita State is helping strengthen his talent pipeline. “Meeting the students, learning about their dreams and aspirations, seeing them excel this year – that’s been such a joy,” he said. “That networking piece has allowed me to get in contact with the younger generation and learn more about their wants and needs in a career.”

Emmart describes his experience as a Shocker Pride mentor much the same as his relationship to Wichita State: rewarding. “Mine definitely wasn’t the traditional path,” he said, “but I want to show students how persevering in your education can serve you in the long run.”