The College of Business Administration at the University of Missouri-St. Louis celebrated the graduation for its inaugural RISE Academy cohort of 19 mentors and 21 students on May 7 2025 at the Lee Theater at the Blanche Touhill Performing Arts Center.
Established in Fall 2024, RISE’s mission is to empower individuals to discover their potential and build a pathway to a successful and fulfilling career.
While many college students aspire to join the workforce and lead organizations after graduation, a common challenge is taking the first step in professional development and finding and building a professional network.
The 2023 Salesforce Connected Student report shows that only 11% of post-secondary students reported feeling very prepared to enter the workforce.
The RISE Academy, a two-semester program, connects business students, domestic and international, with successful leaders in the business community to develop their leadership skills, expand their network, accelerate their careers, and ultimately make an impact in the St. Louis community.
The RISE Academy uses the paired mentor-mentee model and has specific objectives for students and mentors. Students (mentees), have developed leadership skills, established or expanded their professional network, and are prepared to accelerate their careers.
Mentors gain early access to talent, deepen their leadership skills and impact, broaden their network, and ultimately give back to the community.
All mentors and students in the program complete a systematic leadership assessment and receive the toolbox for exercising their strengths in communication, collaboration, and leading in organizations.
In addition, the RISE Academy implements practices and role-plays on topics such as crucial conversations, effective networking, dining etiquette, time management, and more. All mentors also hold one-on-one coaching and mentoring sessions to build and grow more profound connections with students.
The program is accepting applications for 2025-26, and for information, visit https://www.umsl.edu/business/rise-academy.html.