Finding a Mentor

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Once you’ve decided you want a mentor, it may at first seem difficult to find one. There are only so many professors for a lot of students, and you may not have that many contacts with the outside world. However, here are some tips to help you in your mentor search.

Look for more than one mentor. It is much more realistic - - and often more helpful - - to find several people who have different strengths to draw on. One might be an excellent technical person who could advise you about a senior project; another might be a young mother on a medical school faculty who can coach you on home and work “balance” issues. Nobody looks for just one friend, so why should you try to find just one mentor? While some mentors may be closer or more crucial than others, it makes sense to cultivate a variety of mentors and ask a little from a lot of people.

Look outside the college or graduate school setting. Use your other contacts, made through summer jobs, family friends, or high school teachers. If you have a targeted profession/goal in mind your peers might be able to assistant in finding a mentor. Ask everyone, not just the people who you think might have the information. Try an approach like: “I'm interested in mass spectrometry, and I am asking everyone I know if they have ever met anyone in that field.”

Get to know the teaching assistants or lab assistants in courses you are taking. Mentors do not have to be people who have worked in a field for years; sometimes they are closer to your age and particular situation. For instance, if you are still trying to learn enough to know whether a certain specialty or field is for you, a teaching/lab assistant may understand your dilemmas better than someone who made his or her career choice many years ago.

Choose a few professors who could be mentors. Most professors enjoy spending time with students who have a real interest in their subjects. If you do well in class, ask lots of questions and contribute to the discussion, the professor will be even happier to see you during office hours. Questions about the class can easily lead to a broader conversation about you and your goals, and/or about your professor and how s/he got where s/he is today. On the other hand, if you are not doing well in class you might feel intimidated to speak with your professor. Use this to your advantage, start out talking about your progress in class and steer the conversation towards broader topics.

Remember, many people like to mentor. Not only is it satisfying to pass on some of what they have learned, but it also helps them to reflect on their own careers and to come to new insights. Because mentoring is such a mutually beneficial experience, do not hesitate to ask questions!

Mentoring Programs for College Students

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Many “Women in Science” organizations have established mentoring programs connecting students to female professors and researchers. There are also many peer mentoring programs that connect you to other women and provide support, encouragement and friendship.

National Telementoring Programs

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MentorNet
MentorNet is The E-Mentoring Network for Women in Engineering and Science. Women who are studying engineering or science at one of the participating colleges or universities are paired with and form e-mail-based mentoring relationships with professional scientists and engineers.

One on One Mentoring Program: various locations
The MentorNet One-on-One Mentoring Program matches community college, undergraduate, and graduate women students with engineers and scientists working in corporations, national laboratories, and government.

Connections: E-mentoring: Boston area, MA
E-Mentoring is a program developed at Northeastern University's College of Engineering to provide long-term mentoring experiences for students. Participants communicate with each other through the internet on a regular basis.

Mentors2you.com
Incorporated in 2002, Mentors2you, Inc., is dedicated to providing proper direction for young adults through mentorship online. While their focus is on college students, they provide countless resources to high school students as well.

Programs at Colleges and Universities

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College of Letters and Science Peer Mentoring Program: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Peer Mentors assist other students with their writing, study skills, time management, stress management, adjustment to college, and Internet skills. Peer Mentors also form an important link between students and UWM, helping students utilize the many resources available from other campus programs.

CRA Distributed Mentor Project: University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
The CRA Distributed Mentor Project works to increase the number of women entering graduate school in Computer Science and Computer Engineering. To achieve this, the project matches outstanding female undergraduates with female mentors for a summer of research at the mentor's institution.

Student to Student Support in Science (SSSS): University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
First-year students can receive both academic and social support through SSSS, which matches them with juniors and seniors in a similar major. The mentors might help their mentees with course selection, preparing for finals, locating apartments, or even finding their way around Iowa City. Workshops and small-group meetings are held throughout the year.

WISE Mentoring Programs: University of Washington, Seattle, WA
The Center for Women in Science and Engineering commits itself to creating a supportive academic and social climate for female students in science and engineering. To facilitate and ensure their success, WISE coordinates different mentoring programs to introduce students to experienced individuals, who act as advisors and role models, in their respective fields of interest.

Women Mentoring Women: Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
In this program for engineering students, freshmen women are paired with upperclass-women mentors who are in the same program. The mentors offer advice, answer questions, and provide whatever support they can throughout the academic year.