For young people just starting out in the world, having a mentor to help guide them to where they want to go can make all the difference in school, work and life.
That’s why the University of Washington Bothell creates opportunities for students to be mentored by industry partners who can offer advice, insight and a behind-the-scenes look at their dream jobs — and how to get them.
In his recent mentorship experience, Connor Huynh gained the skills and knowledge to help him find an entry point into the difficult landscape of today’s job market.
“A defining part of my journey was applying my mentor’s advice with persistence,” said Huynh, a senior majoring in Business Administration with an option in Leadership & Strategic Innovation. “After submitting over 100 internship applications, I faced repeated rejections. Instead of becoming discouraged, I leaned into my mentor’s guidance.”
It was this persistence that ultimately led him to secure an internship at the San Francisco-based tech company Okta, he said. “This milestone reflects not only my effort but also the direct impact of mentorship in helping me navigate challenges and stay committed to my goals.”
Advice beyond the classroom
Mentorship EDGE — which stands for empowerment, diversity, growth and employability — began as an initiative of UW Bothell’s School of Business with the goal to increase student access to career guidance directly from working professionals. In autumn and winter quarters, about 65 students are paired with business leaders in the community from whom they receive guidance throughout the year.
Students can search through the roster of mentors to find someone who best fits what they’re looking for out of the experience and in their career. For Huynh, that person turned out to be Tyler Burch, senior worldwide GenAI category manager for Amazon Web Services. Burch is one of Amazon’s global leads in its partnership with AI tech giant Anthropic.
“My dream growing up has always been working for a tech company,” Huynh said. “Seeing Tyler’s background with AI and Anthropic, I thought it would be a great opportunity to talk to him because AI is growing exponentially right now, and it’s not going to stop growing.”
A UW alumnus who graduated in 2018 with a degree in Business Administration, Burch first became interested in participating in Mentorship EDGE when the program reached out through the alumni network.
“I thought it might be a good fit and an opportunity for me to provide a better experience to some of the students than what I had when I was starting out,” he said. “A lot of the advice I received had been focused on how to be a good student but not necessarily how to go to the next step and transition into the workforce. Looking at it in hindsight, I wish I’d spent more time on the internship hunt.
“My goal was to go beyond the advice they’re taught in the classroom — and I think that’s the value of the EDGE program that folks sign up for.”
An edge over the competition
Burch believes that the best mentorship relationship is one that is led by the mentee. As much or as little as they want it to be, he said, it’s up to them to define what they hope to gain from the experience.
“Connor was very clear and concise about what his goals were, and that gave us a direction to move in,” Burch said. “And then from there, we could have open dialogue. That’s how I think a good relationship is formed, by having that openness that over time he can truly ask me anything.”
The pair met every other week during the academic year to discuss Huynh’s goals and track his progress. As his main goal was to get an internship, they focused on skills such as how to tailor a resume to a specific role, interview techniques and, most importantly, persistence. After each attempt, Burch offered feedback that helped Huynh improve his tactics by leveraging tools such as the STAR method for stronger interview responses. The method considers a specific situation, task, action and result.
Their work eventually paid off. Huynh landed a business development representative internship at Okta that would take place over the summer. They then shifted their focus to preparing him for the internship, discussing corporate etiquette and how to get the most out of his time at Okta.
During his internship, Huynh said he discovered a newfound passion for sales and now plans to pursue a career in that field.
“That’s the power of internships and programs like EDGE — helping students find what they love and have a talent for,” Burch said. “The most fulfilling part, as a mentor so far, is seeing how excited he is in his role.”
“That’s the power of internships and programs like EDGE — helping students find what they love and have a talent for.”
Tyler Burch, mentor, Business Administration ’18
Opportunities for other students
Huynh was recognized as a 2026 EDGE Mentee of the Year alongside nine other students. He also nominated Burch for a Mentor of the Year award.
The Mentorship EDGE program, Huynh said, has also encouraged him to support others. He has shared what he’s learned with his peers and offers to help with resume building and internship resources. Just as Burch did for him, he encourages others to remain persistent despite the challenges.
“I believe success is most meaningful when it creates opportunities for others as well,” he said. “Because of this program, I got direction, discipline and confidence to pursue a career in sales.
“I plan to leverage the skills and confidence gained through Mentorship EDGE to build meaningful relationships, drive impact within organizations and continue mentoring others along the way.”
