Boise State College of Business Economics graduates are returning to campus to mentor current students on Business Analytics Student Experience (BASE) projects, sharing their expertise to create positive community impact. BASE, overseen by Christie Fuller and Shelly Moore, puts students in the analytics driver seat.
Each semester Fuller and Moore solicit analytics-related projects from area nonprofits and divide them among BASE members. Student teams then collaborate with these organizations to interpret data, develop dashboards and reports, and ultimately improve their operations. In three years, BASE students have completed 25 projects for 12 clients. Past and current BASE clients include the Ronald McDonald House, Jannus, Downtown Boise Foundation and the Boise Bicycle Project. This semester, 28 students are involved with BASE.
Alumni mentorship has been a part of BASE for three semesters, starting in early 2024 after a conversation between Fuller and alum Sam Beaman.
“After Sam graduated, we went out for coffee to catch up and he made the mistake of saying he would like to start giving back to the community as part of his professional life. That put the idea in my head–what if we have alumni like Sam involved with BASE?” Fuller said, “That first semester it was just Sam mentoring one team, and it went great. The next semester, we expanded that to three mentors. Now every team has a mentor and Sam is back for the third time.”
All BASE mentors are COBE alumni who bring real-world experience to help the student project groups. Sam Beaman, a COBE MBA graduate, is now a senior data science analyst at Simplot.
“Honestly, it’s fun to try to help the non-profits and the students,” Beaman said. “Many non-profits don’t have a lot of technical resources, so it’s great to partner with BASE students and give back to the community. I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Mentors bridge classroom and career
While BASE projects hone students’ analytics skills, they also learn on-the-job skills like how to successfully work in groups, sharpen communications and overcome scheduling challenges. This is where mentors and their experience make a perfect fit. As young professionals, the mentors bring workforce experience and industry insights that complement Fuller and Moore’s academic guidance.
“Through their work on BASE projects for local non-profits, students develop a wide range of practical skills,” said Moore. “Unlike traditional classroom settings, these projects often involve working with raw data that must be cleaned, organized and interpreted. Students are required to ask critical questions and derive meaningful insights from complex information. They also gain experience in client communication and professional conduct. As part of the process, students take responsibility for setting goals and deadlines, coordinating meetings and collaborating effectively within a team. Upon completion, they leave with a tangible project that serves as a strong talking point in interviews.”
Beaman affirmed that the challenges BASE students face on their projects mirror real-world workforce challenges.
“BASE is really unique because it provides that real world experience,” Beaman said. “90% of the projects reflect exactly what happens in the business world. I tell students that sometimes the technical skill is the easiest part to learn–the hard part is communicating, project planning, and dealing with things like scope creep. But it’s a great opportunity because BASE allows students to test their skills in a lower-risk situation where a mistake won’t cost you your job or a promotion.”
Unexpected benefits
BASE mentors have brought one more unexpected benefit beyond project support: peer guidance for job hunting and interviewing. Emily Norton was a founding member of BASE and after she graduated from Boise State, she worked at her first job for about three months before layoffs at her company left her unemployed.
“Dr. Fuller was the first person I reached out to after I was laid off,” Norton said. “She connected me with current BASE mentors for coffee chats, and I was able to ask questions about the job market and interview process. Then they helped me make connections with other people. The mentors were a great networking resource.”
Norton now works at Blue Cross of Idaho as a health care economics analyst. Sam Beaman has also helped students who are on the job hunt through his mentorship and connections.
“It’s very rewarding to see students who take the BASE projects seriously land jobs after graduation,” Beaman said. “I mentored one student from Christie’s class and connected him with a hiring manager. That student got an internship and ultimately a full-time job.”
On top of that, the experience students build during BASE projects serves as an excellent talking point during interviews.
“I was able to walk into interviews with such confidence,” Norton said. “You can get technical project experience in classrooms, but BASE puts you ahead because you’ve worked with organizations in the real world. In BASE, we learned to talk to stakeholders, understand what they need, and translate that into data analytics. Then we take those complex findings and make them make sense to people who have never looked at analytics in their lives. These skills really get you ready for the workplace.”
BASE welcomes all Boise State graduate and undergraduate students. Fuller says she’s continually impressed with their dedication and the work they do.
“I think it’s this generation,” Fuller said. “I’m part of GenX, and many of us just didn’t get involved. The students in BASE give me a lot of hope for the future. These students are investing in their community and into their alma mater not because they’re getting paid to or forced to, but they’re stepping up to say, ‘This is what I want to do,’ and it’s great.”
Students, alumni and non-profits who are interested in getting involved with BASE are encouraged to reach out to Christie Fuller at christiefuller@boisestate.edu or Shelly Moore at shellymoore@boisestate.edu.