A mentor’s roles are many: advisor, listener, teacher, supporter, guide, motivator, counselor, peer, and even learner. In our interviews with UCSB grad student mentors and some of their mentees, several common themes emerged. Communication and trust are critical. Mentoring should not be done for selfish reasons. Learning goes both ways. And the rewards of a good mentor-mentee relationship are great – for all involved.
In Part 1 of our two-part series on Peer Mentoring, we talked with two grad student mentors, Sameh Helmy and Peter Burks; and a mentee, Carmen Segura. In this article, we interviewed UCSB grad student mentor Hannah Goodwin (Film & Media Studies) and her mentee, Briana McKoy; and grad mentor Lauren Winczewski (Psychological & Brain Sciences) and her mentee, Amber Massey. Read on.…
HANNAH GOODWIN AND HER MENTEE, BRIANA MCKOY
Hannah Goodwin is a second-year M.A./Ph.D. student pursuing Film & Media Studies at UCSB. Briana McKoy, a senior at Eastern Michigan University, was one of the scholars participating over the past summer in the Academic Research Consortium/Sally Casanova Scholars program (see our ARC/Sally Casanova article published in early October.). The program brought together 17 talented and motivated undergrads from across the country to do eight weeks of scholarly research under the mentorship of UCSB faculty members and grad students.
Hannah GoodwinHannah said she was asked to serve as a grad student mentor to Briana along with fellow graduate student Diana Pozo by Dr. Anna Everett, Professor of Film & Media Studies, Director of Graduate Studies, and Acting Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Academic Policy. Diana’s and Hannah’s “interests were similar enough to Briana’s that Professor Everett thought we would be a good match,” Hannah said.
“Briana was working on a paper and presentation about the representation of blackness on television historically and today,” said Hannah. “I met with her to help her find academic sources to inform her work, and to help her shape the paper and presentation.”
The mentor-mentee relationship between the two women was a compatible one.
“Hannah was a great mentor because she met me right where I was at,” said Briana, who is pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree, double majoring in Communication and Electronic Media & Film with a minor in Marketing. “She made sure that I felt comfortable with the different research tools available at UCSB and was always more than happy to provide a listening ear when I needed to sort my thoughts ‘out loud.’”
Briana McKoyHannah’s style was “very down to earth,” said Briana, who added that they often met during Hannah’s office hours, “usually over lunch, in a very casual manner.” Hannah also met with her mentee several times outside of the office environment, Briana said, “to make sure that I was adjusting to the new environment well.”
Added Briana: “She treated me as one of her peers and I appreciated that. I can definitely say that I found a friend in her.”
Hannah too enjoyed their meetings. “Briana was consistently extremely bright and self-motivated, and working with her was always a pleasure. She had so many ideas, so there was never a shortage of material to work with or topics to discuss. I always looked forward to our meetings, as it was exciting to hear about the progress she had made since the last time I had seen her.”
Mentors and mentees we interviewed confirmed that both the undergrad and the grad student can benefit from a successful pairing.
Briana McKoy presents her research, "Black Comedy and the Weight of Misrepresentation: The Exaggeration of Black Life." Credit: Patricia Marroquin“I learned at least as much from Briana as she learned from me,” grad student mentor Hannah said. “Being a mentor exposes you to different areas of research, and gives you the opportunity to work closely one-on-one with a highly motivated student who is doing work she or he has sought out independently. Seeing your mentee's ideas solidify into excellent academic work is naturally very rewarding.”
Hannah’s advice to grad student mentors? “Be committed and available, and listen more than you talk. These students are really bright, and don’t need to be taught so much as guided.”
Back in Michigan, Briana reflected on what the program did for her. “I left understanding the importance of mentorship and possibly even more importantly the power in networking with other graduate students,” she said. “It's interesting how sidebar conversations with your peers can spark inspiration for new paths of research in your studies. I was fortunate enough to have two grad mentors whose projects were in some way relatable to mine. I loved picking their brains and listening to them share why they were so passionate about what they do. All in all, the mentorship was a learning experience for both of us. It's always interesting to meet new people and share culture.”
LAUREN WINCZEWSKI AND HER MENTEE, AMBER MASSEY
Lauren Winczewski’s interest in mentoring goes back to her days as an undergraduate.
“I have had a passion for mentoring since my earliest research experiences as an undergraduate,” said Lauren, a 2nd-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at UCSB. Lauren is studying normative processes in close relationships under the more general heading of Social Psychology. “During my sophomore year, I worked closely with a graduate student at DePaul University in Chicago. He was interested in the qualities that make for stable, successful mentoring relationships in student affairs and campus programs, and I played a pretty key role in helping him put together his dissertation project on the subject,” she said. “My work with him inspired my application to the McNair Scholars Program, and I was happy to apply my research in a practical way. Incoming undergraduates sought my guidance and were exceedingly appreciative that I always made myself available when they needed help or advice. In the year between my undergraduate and graduate studies, DePaul hired me to continue this work as Program Coordinator for the McNair Program. The work (both administrative and on individual projects with the students) was very rewarding.”
Amber Massey, left, and her UCSB grad student mentor, Lauren WinczewskiLauren’s work with Amber Massey, one of the scholars in the ARC/Sally Casanova summer program, came about when Lauren’s advisor, Dr. Nancy Collins, told her about an ARC Scholar who specifically requested to work in the department’s lab.
“My advisor was familiar with my personal and professional interest in mentoring and thought I'd be a good candidate to serve as a graduate student mentor for Amber,” Lauren said.
Amber is a senior working on her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a Biology minor at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.
In the ARC program, Amber was interested in researching and making a presentation on attachment style differences in stress hormones and support behavior among romantic couples. Her presentation used data from Lauren’s lab, which had already collected related data. Lauren said she helped Amber analyze some of the data for her presentation and advised her throughout the process.
“Both Dr. Collins and Lauren were remarkably patient with my progress and in thoroughly answering any questions I had,” said Amber, “which was key as I had never truly delved into close relationships research.”
For both mentor and mentee, the manner in which they work together is important. “I learned so much about the style of mentor-mentee relationship that allows me to flourish,” said mentee Amber. “Thanks to both of these amazing ladies, I feel better prepared to determine and seek out a proper ‘fit’ with a faculty mentor, graduate fellows, and a ‘me-friendly environment’ in my future graduate program.”
Lauren called Amber “a great mentee, in large part because of her intrinsic motivation and eagerness to learn new things. I think we both learned a lot from each other.”
As other mentors we interviewed told us, open communication, trust, and clear expectations are key factors in a successful mentor-mentee relationship.
“In my experience, there are oftentimes issues of trust,” grad student mentor Lauren said. “You can see how it could be very damaging for the mentor/mentee relationship when a mentee blatantly ignores critical edits that a mentor makes. This sort of behavior might suggest that the mentee thinks the mentor is not to be trusted. As well, mentors could do or say things that lead mentees to believe the mentor does not trust them. This is just as problematic and likely inhibits confidence and professional growth. In these instances, I have found it useful to make mentees aware of the situation and stimulate conversation about it. Otherwise, these sorts of issues very easily get brushed under the rug, so to speak, and resentment grows. It's better to avoid going down that road. Mentors and mentees alike should ultimately feel comfortable having open, constructive discussions.”
Amber appreciated that openness. Lauren, she said, “was absolutely amazing in making sure there was clarity in our communications and throughout the development of our project. She was always willing to take however much time was necessary to make sure that we were on the same page, regardless of how quickly, or slowly, I was learning. She is a caring, patient, intelligent person with an excellent sense of humor, and she made even the most tedious tasks somehow entertaining!”
In addition to making expectations clear with the mentee from the start, mentor Lauren also finds it useful to get to know a little bit about mentees’ goals. “Why did they apply to work with you? What are they looking for out of the experience? What are their larger goals/aspirations? These are just some of the questions that help highlight how to be the most effective mentor to that particular mentee, such that you can plan accordingly and help facilitate learning goals.”
Lauren cautions against mentoring primarily for your own gain. “I would not advise taking on a student because you need to add a member to your research army. The relationship has to be a mutually beneficial one, and the dynamic becomes very different if mentees believe that you only hired them because you needed something done. Thus, I believe a good mentor is one who mentors for the intrinsic interest in mentoring for the sake of mentoring, not because they need a line on their CV.”
Saying she left “feeling empowered and supported by my new UCSB family,” mentee Amber is grateful for the “amazing opportunity” to participate in the ARC program. “I was welcomed into the Collins Close Relationships Lab with open arms, and I instantly felt at home. The importance of your environment (and how that will ultimately affect your productivity) is definitely a big message I brought home. I've actually changed many of the graduate programs and faculty members I was planning on applying to based almost entirely on the discovery that the right environment with the right guidance is exponentially more important to me than simply the reputation of the school, faculty, etc.”
Working with Lauren through the program also resulted in an unexpected benefit for Amber.
“Before my sophomore year of college,” Amber said, “I never once imagined I could become a graduate student. I think programs like the UCSB Academic Research Consortium are unequivocally important in the lives of those who are seeking every opportunity to make their flawed past a sparkling future. Every person instrumental to my experience in the ARC program made me feel like I was worthy and capable of greatness.” She added that programs such as ARC and the McNair Scholars Program “are the sole reason I have the necessary knowledge, skills and resources to even apply to graduate programs, much less as a competitive applicant!”
For mentor Lauren, one simple gesture made a huge impact.
“Believe it or not, one of the most rewarding parts of this particular experience was the message I received from Amber, out of the blue, after the program had ended. She had returned home to Texas by this point and had been there for several weeks. She simply wanted to say hello and profusely thanked me for working so closely with her. Her outreach showed me that my willingness to work with her and our experiences together made a lasting impression; she exhibited greater confidence in her future endeavors and made it clear to me that I truly helped her work closer to her professional goals ... and that felt nice.”
For more information on mentoring, read a few previous GradPost articles:
Peer Mentoring: Grad Students Discuss the Challenges and Rewards (Part 1)
Navigating Your Relationship With a Faculty Advisor: Advice From Dr. Catherine Murphy
17 ARC/Sally Casanova Scholars Participate in a Successful 8-Week Summer Program