Elizabethtown College student Daniel Dein’s ’26 invaluable experiences serving in Etown Engineering’s Mindset Mentor program are sharpening his leadership skills and opening the door to countless career opportunities.
Daniel Dein ’26 (right) has developed key leadership skills during his two years as a Mindset Mentor.
The program, created by Assistant Teaching Professor Dr. Judson Wagner, is a mentor program for Etown Engineering students that aims to go beyond the relationship of a tutor or teaching assistant. Mindset Mentors support new Engineering students both academically and socially, providing peer-to-peer academic assistance and encouraging alternative approaches to challenges and collaboration. They work with students to develop the mindset necessary for approaching problems with curiosity and persistence.
Dein’s summer of 2025 internship at GFT, a worldwide engineering firm, provided him with ample opportunities to showcase the skills he formed as a Mindset Mentor, including connecting with others, recognizing differences, and facilitating innovative thinking, which directly contributed to his success in his position.
“My experience as a Mindset Mentor really helped me stand out during my internship,” Dein, who is participating in the program for the second straight year, said. “It was exciting to realize how much my work as a Mindset Mentor on campus connects to the same values in the industry .”
The program was created as part of Elizabethtown College School of Engineering and Computer Science’s KEEN Initiative to foster students’ entrepreneurial mindsets. It aims to help students develop the mindset and habits necessary for success in their industry.
“Our goal is to create a support ecosystem that doesn’t just help students pass courses, but transforms how they approach problems, collaborate with others, and see their own potential for growth and impact,” Wagner said.
Mindset Mentors are selected based on academic merit, peer nominations, and their ability to approach course content insightfully. They participate in a two-day training session that teaches them how to recognize student needs, facilitate student-led teams, and help students develop the skills necessary for deeper learning and understanding.
Dein plans to pursue a career in civil engineering, with a career goal of returning to GFT as part of their engineering team. Through the experiences he gained in the Mindset Mentor program, he’s also hoping to continue serving others in leadership roles.
“The Mindset Mentor program has prepared me for my career by teaching me the importance of communication, adaptability, and leadership,” Dein says. “The experience has given me confidence that I can bring those same mentoring and leadership skills to my career as an engineer.”
Etown’s standout Engineering program was recently recognized amongst the nation’s best on the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges lists, moving into the country’s top-50 ranked programs at 46th (tie) and fourth across all engineering programs in the Commonwealth. Etown Engineering challenges students to become innovators of the future through personal attention from award-winning faculty mentors and hands-on experience in design and fabrication laboratories.
