Intentional Connections: Hollingsworth Center for Ethical Leadership Launches New Mentor Program
Piloted across the 2025-2026 academic year, the Hollingsworth Center’s new mentor program looks to connect cadets with professionals from across Texas A&M’s campus and beyond.
The 2025-2026 academic year saw the launch of the Hollingsworth Center for Ethical Leadership’s new Corps of Cadets Mentor Program.
Early ideas for the program began after Dr. Kristen Neill, Associate Director of the Hollingsworth Center, recognized the need for a mentoring program on the Quad. From there, Neill engaged in several intentional steps toward initiating the new resource.
“As someone who was neither a former cadet nor an Aggie, I knew there was much to understand about how the Corps operates in order to effectively serve cadets through a mentorship program. To build that understanding, I interviewed cadets and engaged in conversations with students during my School of Military Sciences (SOMS) courses to gain insight into their experiences and needs,” Neill explained.
“My goal for the mentor program was simple: connection and impact; ultimately enhancing the overall Corps experience. I see the mentor program as a leadership accelerator – a way to get even better, faster. I also researched mentorship programs across the country to identify best practices and common challenges. That process reinforced the significant benefits of one-to-one mentoring. At the same time, I drew on consistently strong feedback from our SOMS courses, which demonstrate meaningful impact each semester,” she continued.
Leaning on those conversations and her research, Neill says that the program’s initial model integrates individualized mentorship with the proven framework of SOMS. In its first pilot year, the Corps of Cadets Mentor program welcomed in 27 cadets from across all majors and classifications. Individual mentors were assigned to each cadet through as the product of a personalized selection process.
“Individuals were chosen because they were already engaged with the Corps community and had established trust with cadets, allowing for authentic and meaningful connections from the outset. Rather than assigning mentors based on career alignment, pairings were made intentionally to foster personal growth, leadership development and holistic support. Cadets were matched with mentors who could provide guidance, encouragement and perspective, prioritizing relational fit and accessibility over professional similarity,” said Neill.
Across the fall and spring semesters, the program facilitated monthly lunch-time gatherings for all mentors and mentees. At the lunch sessions, cadets and their mentors heard from guest speakers on various leadership topics. From there, the mentors and mentees would arrange one on one “debrief meetings” to review the topics together.
“This allowed for guided discussion at first, but the more the relationship grows, mentors and mentees can eventually branch off into cadet specific personal development,” Neill explained.
One program participant, Preston King ‘26, a mechanical engineering major on the Infantry Band Staff, says that his mentor, Major General Randy Fullhart, has already had a significant impact on both his Corps career and his personal life.
“Whether recounting difficult conversations he had as Commandant of the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech, or brightening the day of the landscaping staff at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library where he and his wife volunteer, Maj. Gen. Fullhart displays a humble excellence that I can only hope to replicate. Those actions don’t depend on my future career.”
As the program looks to continue to grow in its second pilot run next academic year, its positive impacts on the Corps are already evident.
“I hope the Hollingsworth Center’s mentorship program doubles in size in the next two years. With the impact Maj. Gen. Fullart has already had on my life, I wish every cadet had access to this kind of guidance,” King said.
“The greatest value of the program is that it enriches the lives of every cadet by surrounding them with ‘best‑of‑the‑best’ individuals who are interested in investing in their cadet’s success. Whether military-contracted or drill & ceremony, cadets gain guidance, support and a relationship that benefits their life long after they graduate from Texas A&M University,” he continued.
Through the Hollingsworth Center and the resources it offers, students from across Texas A&M’s campus can gain invaluable experience and unique insight from experienced leaders. For cadets in specific, resources like the mentorship program help equip them with the tools they need to make positive contributions to their communities, the state and the nation.
Interested in learning more about the Hollingsworth Center’s impacts across campus? Visit tx.ag/HCEL.
