Since being established in 2010, the Graduate Student Mentorship Program (GSMP) has depended on our mentors’ contributions and efforts to facilitate and transform the experiences of graduate students at UCR. In honor of International Mentor Appreciation Month, we would like to thank all of our faculty and peer mentors and talk about the great things that come from effective mentorship!

[Image Description: A man stating "Everyone needs a mentor" into a microphone.]

Pictured: Mentors are crucial for students navigating the ups and downs of grad school!

Mentorship has many benefits, especially for early career scholars! First, mentors guide mentees’ personal and professional development. When we enter our first year as graduate students, we are often unfamiliar with the campus resources and department nuances. With the support of mentors, we can navigate graduate life better and have support reaching academic and research goals.

[Image Description: Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation looking around and asking "Where am I?"

Pictured: Our GSMP mentors help new grad students learn their way around both campus and academia.

Second, mentors are our trusted allies. Graduate school is never easy, especially in a global pandemic. Many of us have struggled in academic and personal aspects, such as balancing virtual teaching and research with home life. Through consistent communication, mentors can lend empathetic ears to mentees’ struggles and point them to the right resources because they always have mentees’ best interests in mind. Lastly, mentors help hold mentees accountable for their goals. Adjusting to the self-directed nature of graduate school can be challenging, and mentors can guide students in learning how to set and work toward realistic goals. For example, through regular meetings and bi-weekly reports, GSMP mentors assist mentees in monitoring their progress and staying on track. 

[Image Description: Cartoon characters sitting together with a sign that says "This seat reserved for you."]

Pictured: Mentors ensure you always have someone to share your triumphs and struggles with.

GSMP actively connects first-year graduate students to campus resources with diligent hard work from our mentors and helps our mentees transition from undergraduate programs or careers into graduate studies. This year, we are supporting 74 incoming graduate student mentees, nearly half from the humanities, arts, social sciences, and education, and the other half from STEM fields. With the help of their faculty and peer mentors, these students have gained access to advice and resources that will help them navigate the rest of their grad school careers. Together we have created a network of mentors and mentees and built a supportive graduate student community.