Do You Need a Mentor? Nah, You Need a Family of Mentors.

On The Navigationalist blog and podcast, we ask researchers, scholars, faculty, and administrators a variety of questions directly from our podcast audience, and then our Guest Navigationalists offer a set of navigational strategies to address these questions. Below is the podcast question of the day. Today we have three Guest Navigationalists: Dr. Melissa A. Martinez, Dr. Juan F. Carrillo, and Dr. Michelle Harris.

Today’s Naviagationalist question is:

Hello, my name is Dr. Anonymous.  I am new to the college.  I moved from the east coast to this west coast college.  I am the only faculty color in my department.  What are some things I should think about?  I really want to be successful.  Do I really need a mentor? 

Dr. Martinez: Yes and yes. It would be best if you definitely had a mentor, but I would not say one. I would say, several mentors. There is never going to be one person that will be the end-all, so you need a support system of folx, and you will need to have mentors both within and outside your program or department or college. It would help if you had folx to support you within your field and outside your institution. It would be best if you had a mix of both. This is because everybody will be different in terms of the kind of mentorship that they offer. In my career, I have had formal mentorship and informal mentorship – all at the same time. It would help if you had many peer mentors. You need to develop your family within your professional family and the folks you can count on.

Another point is that many professional associations, conferences, universities, and colleges create formalized mentorship programs or spaces where mentorship relationships can develop. It is important to take advantage of that, but keep in mind that it might not work out because you get paired with somebody. You might not jive with that person or meld with that person. But this can put you in contact with other folx you could potentially have a good relationship with.

Dr. Harris: Keep in mind what a mentor is supposed to do? A mentor is going to proactively offer you help or support you in achieving your goals. Open doors, right? Usually, we think of them as having our best interests at heart. And sometimes, what is so interesting, they often emerge. It is through knowing or observing these people that these people become our mentors or allies. Oftentimes we choose them either deliberately or kind of tacitly. Mentors are people we usually think of as experienced advisors who may set aside some time to talk to us, give us advice, or counsel us. And usually, we think of them as having greater experience and some wisdom.

We choose them, I believe. I think we come to identify these people, not the other way around. We explore the person by asking ourselves if that person is working from a position of integrity or ethics or is willing to call stuff out or seems to lend a voice to a cause that is important to me or promotes the underdog. We understand these people as being wise. They have something to say to us. They speak our language, and we listen to them. We think we can learn something from this person. And you are not just talking about an assignment; they are talking about life. So in that way, that is that silent request for mentorship. We will not select them if you do not have time for them if you slough them off. I think of all the people who an underrepresented faculty may look up to in your life; maybe they never called themselves a mentor, nor did you actually label them as such, but maybe they were elders in your community, grandparents, aunts, or uncles, people who are part of our religious community, people who we just thought of as having good things to say.

Dr. Carrillo: One thing I realized is the idea of a mentor sometimes looks a particular way in different situations. Usually, it is someone senior, but one of the things I realized in places where microaggression was happening a lot is that my very own students were mentoring me. For example, the Latino students, who had experienced similar situations on that campus, helped me. Furthermore, I met others who experienced similar things at basketball games, over coffee, and barbeques designed for this support. Many would tell me, “There is one Mexican spot if you go down that way 30 miles. It is decent. You will see us.” You have to build your community. My colleagues and my students have become family because they understand the historical memory place. They were people of color who had extra levels of knowledge of place that helped me adjust.

And I believe it is important to look for opportunities. The community of mentors will show up. I remember one story where I showed up to a conference right before I showed up at the University of North Carolina as a first-year faculty member. And I remember a mentor from the University of Texas at Austin telling a professor from UNC chapel Hill along the lines, “Take care of him. Make sure you look out for him.” They want to help you.  

Navigational Report

In summary, it is important that you check out the mentor programs on your campus, but keep in mind, they might not fulfill all your needs. Many colleges and universities have a mentor program for underrepresented faculty, like mentors of color and female faculty, but some do not. And many lack mentors of color or female faculty to share their experiences. Do not blame the institution. Some have a level of priority, and some do not. In many institutions, they are simply checking off the boxes regarding equity and inclusion, so it is up to you to keep your eyes open for the set of mentors that meet your need. You will see this. We need a variety of mentors, or like Stacey Abrams said in her book, Lead From the Outside, we need a board of advisers:

1. One to open doors and provide access for your career.
2. One to help you with your long term goals and your decision-making
3. One in your field
4. One or more to discuss your complex situations in the workplace, like addressing microaggressions or asking for a promotion.
5. and more.  

It depends on your needs, but please understand some mentors are long-term, and some are short. Some are informal, and some are formal. Everybody’s support system will look different, but one commonality is that your family of mentors and advisors should care about your well-being, career, health, and interests. You will see that. When you are thinking or meeting your potential mentor, observed that person. Ask yourself questions: do you respect or admire the person for their achievements or experience, or are you able to work with that person? Is he, she, or they available to guide you? Can this person guide you towards your professional goals? This is your career.

And if you are thinking about identifying your allies, the easiest way is to see who is working on issues you care about. Watch from afar and ask yourself these questions:

1. Who is doing something about the issue on campus?
2. What are they doing?
3. Which strategies did they find effective?
4. Is there some way we can collaborate on this issue?

You can do this. Remember, you belong in higher education. It needs you – all of you.

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