Throughout National Mentoring Month in January, KU Alumni is spotlighting the strength of the Jayhawk professional network and the mutual rewards of mentorship through profiles of some of the Jayhawks who give their time to mentor fellow alumni and current students.
Below, meet KU alumna Liz Hawks, g’10, who is the global head of influencer relations at FleishmanHillard and last fall visited campus for Mocktails & Mingle, an event series that connects current KU students with alumni, faculty, staff and local professionals for relaxed, career-focused conversations.
What motivated you to attend Mocktails & Mingle?
Hawks: As an alumna of KU’s integrated marketing communications graduate program and a current trustee of the William Allen White Foundation, I’m always eager to invest time in supporting the next generation of Jayhawks entering our profession. As someone who actively hires talent, including interns and entry-level professionals, I was also genuinely curious about the questions students would ask and where they feel least prepared. Events like Mocktails & Mingle offer a valuable window into how students view the industry today and how they’re thinking about what comes next after graduation.
What was the most valuable part of connecting with students at the event?
Several students shared that some of the advice I offered was new to them and hadn’t been discussed in their coursework yet. That really stood out to me. The combination of strong academic theory they receive in class with practical, real-world guidance from working professionals is critical to helping students feel confident and prepared when they graduate. Sometimes there can be a natural gap. Hearing directly from students that opportunities to interact with professionals at events like Mocktails & Mingle help fill that gap was encouraging and reinforced the value of investing time in events like this.
How did your Mocktails & Mingle experience shape your perspective on mentoring or supporting current KU students?
Participating in this event was a great reminder of how accessible and impactful mentoring can be. It helps students see that there aren’t as many barriers as they might expect to getting meaningful advice from professionals in the field. It also helps bridge the physical and psychological gap between campus and the companies and careers waiting for them in the region and beyond it.
What advice would you give other alumni who are considering mentoring or attending a future networking event?
This is one of the simplest ways to give back to KU while also investing in the future. A small time commitment can have an outsized impact on students, and you may just find yourself connecting with future colleagues along the way.
