The importance of mentors and how to handle more than one mentor

Abstract

Working with multiple mentors is a critical way for students to expand their network, gain opportunities, and better prepare for future scholastic or professional ventures. However, students from underrepresented groups (UR) are less likely to be mentored or have access to mentors, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. We developed and implemented a workshop, to provide the necessary foundation for students to be better prepared for establishing future mentorships throughout graduate and professional school. Faculty well-versed in the area of effective mentorship from multiple universities developed and delivered a 1.5-hour workshop to address the roles of a mentor, especially when it comes to UR students, and how students may effectively work with multiple mentors. This workshop was delivered to a group of students from, the Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Winston-Salem State University, and a pre/post-10-point Likert scale-based survey was administered where 1 represented strongly disagree and 10 was strongly agree. The questions used in this seminar were newly designed by the authors as program evaluations. We analyzed the raw data with nonparametric tests for comparison within paired samples. Wilcoxon matched-pairs and signed-rank tests showed statistically significant growth in student self-ratings related to the workshop learning objectives. The 'How to Handle More than One Mentor to Achieve Excellence' workshop was well-received as a component of pregraduate and preprofessional training. Incorporating workshops like this may increase student preparedness around developing and cultivating healthy mentorship relationships throughout STEM training.

Keywords: STEM; mentors; mentorship; underrepresented minority.

Figure 1.

Graphic adapted from the workshop depicting the mentoring relationship cycle. Often in mentoring relationships, a challenge occurs that both mentee and mentor must work through to first reassess the mentee-to-mentor relationship, followed by a period of refocusing on the overall goals of the mentee-to-mentor relationship, and ending with an effort on the part of both mentee and mentor to recommit to the mentoring relationship before another challenge may arise.

Figure 2.

Infographic adapted from the workshop depicting the different roles of a mentor for underrepresented mentees, which include but are not limited to being a(n) coach, advisor, sponsor, listener, and/or role model.

Figure 3.

Graphic summarizing common factors affecting the success of underrepresented mentees in STEM, which can include stress, mental health issues like anxiety and depression, the availability of opportunities, and different types of biases that include stereotype threat, the myth of model minority, and tokenism.

Figure 4.

List of a common issues underlying stereotype threat that underrepresented individuals may have to deal with and overcome.

Figure 5.

Qualitative summary of pre- and postworkshop questions administered to students.