Morehead-Cain Mentor Andrea Stumpf ’84 on taking an ‘exploratory approach’ to mentorship

Written by Cate Miller ’25, Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team

For Andrea Stumpf ’84, serving as a Morehead-Cain Mentor was the perfect way to make a difference as an alumna. 

During their first conversation, Andrea was surprised at how much she and her mentee, Ann Goulian ’25, had to talk about. (The Morehead-Cain Mentoring Program pairs scholars with alumni based on shared values and interests.)

“Our meeting was informal but quite wonderful, with a fluidity to the conversation,” she said. “We were able to quickly enter our comfort zones, naturally gravitating towards discussion surrounding women in the working world.”

The experience of being a mentor has affirmed for Andrea that there may indeed be some words of wisdom she has to offer as an experienced professional, she said. 

“It’s very validating for the person you’re helping, but it’s also extremely validating for yourself, to draw from your past and make something useful out of it for someone else,” said Andrea, principal at Structured Partnerships in Kensington, Maryland. “It’s a simple and discreet way to help.”

Throughout their meetings, she’s encouraged Ann to pursue opportunities that are different from the ones the scholar has done in college and through the Summer Enrichment Program. 

“As you expand your experiences, your ability to see the bigger picture increases more and more,” the alumna said. Before founding her own partnership advising firm, she worked in government, law firms, private companies, and a multilateral development institution. 

Andrea said mentoring conversations are often open-ended, allowing her mentee the freedom to choose the focus.

“We take an exploratory approach to our meetings, where I’m in reactive mode to what Ann is thinking about, and she sets the stage for me to help her in the best way possible,” she said. “When you make the transition to the post-grad world, you see more of what the world is about, and it’s important to take an exploratory approach there, too.” 

This is the third and final edition of my series about Morehead-Cain Mentors based in Washington, D.C. For the second piece, I spoke with David von Storch ’80.

The Morehead-Cain Mentoring Program is designed to leverage the power of the Morehead-Cain network by cultivating connections between scholars and alumni, and providing structure and support to these relationships. All rising juniors and seniors are eligible to participate in the one-year program.