As a mentor, my goal is to oversee a working environment based on the following core values: inclusivity, accountability, transparency, high standards and achievement in cutting-edge science, and compassion. For me, people come first. If a person doesn’t feel respected and supported, no amount of mentoring techniques or approaches can lead them to success, no matter what their version of success looks like. Thus, I strive to get to know mentees as people, scholars, and scientists. In this way, I hope to gauge mentees interest, skill level, career goals, and interpersonal style to determine what they need to succeed under my mentorship and beyond.

In pursuit of these values, I have learned the importance of meeting people where they are and committing to not just getting people through a degree or program, but truly empowering them to achieve their highest potential. To me, that means getting to know mentees as people, and altering mentoring strategy to best suit the individual, and holding them to high standards without simply throwing them into the proverbial deep end. Furthermore, I aim to create a welcoming space where everyone feels safe bringing their whole selves to the working environment. To do this, I try to actively model and display allyship and vulnerability, while maintaining a zero tolerance policy for any hateful rhetoric or behaviors. Additionally, I understand the importance of having multiple mentors, especially those who come from similar backgrounds as you. I hope to connect my future mentees with additional mentors who can relate to experiences I may not have personally faced.

I believe in setting high standards and operating with transparency and accountability to ensure mentees achieve and/or exceed those standards. Meeting frequencies and trajectory structures will be tailored in collaboration with each individual I mentor, depending on their skillsets and desire for independence. I recognize that all people are different people – there is no one size fits all approach to achieving set standards or benchmarks. However, I want ALL trainees to achieve appropriate milestones of the same standards, and I do my best to alter my mentoring strategies to guide everyone, instill in them a sense of independence, and ultimately achieve their goals.