In reflecting on her career and life progression as a student, OU president Dr. Ora Pescovitz (2023) knew all she aspired to be at her place and time could not be found in one person:

"Over time, I developed a concept I call my mentor quilt. Rather than depend on a single mentor, I developed a patchwork of mentors to guide, advise, and nurture me throughout my life journey.”

Expressing our strengths as a mentor in 10 words can be a short but powerful way to reflect on how mentorship is a part of our teaching approaches and how this fits into the quilts our students create to achieve their aspirations. 

We asked recent recipients of Oakland University’s Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award to share their Mentorship in 10 Words, plus a little more on those 10 words.

My success is my students’ success

Jonathan Maisonneuve, Mechanical Engineering, 2024

This recognition is special to me because I am very proud of the many outstanding students that I have had the privilege of advising at Oakland University. Helping them succeed in their studies and beyond is one of my top priorities. For this reason, I strive to take a genuine interest in my students’ lives and to understand their goals, interests, and skills. Based on this, I try to leverage projects and opportunities in my lab that will support their plans for the future. We meet regularly, set goals, track progress, and celebrate their discoveries and achievements. As I reflect on the many mentors that have helped me on my way, I’m very glad to be able to pay it forward.

Leading by Example

Osamah Rawashdeh, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2022

“No late assignments, be on time for class, the related work search should be thorough, do your best work…” These expectations resonate in both the classroom and in our research meetings. But then, as a busy faculty member, it’s tempting to occasionally return graded assignments late, arrive a little too late for class, underprepare for a lecture, or criticize others. We must resist! As educators and mentors, we must hold ourselves first, and then others, to the highest standards and expectations. While both carrots and sticks have their place, leading by example has a profound impact on mentees. Over the years, I’ve drawn wisdom and learned from my personal experiences, my own mentors, and from remarkable colleagues. Their actions spoke louder than words, showing dedication, integrity, open-mindedness, and a genuine passion for their work. Modeling the behaviors we seek is our greatest teaching tool. When we arrive prepared, engage enthusiastically, and demonstrate respect for our students and colleagues, we inspire them to do the same, shaping not only individual performance but also the culture of excellence we aspire to create.

Providing opportunities to grow and succeed

Jennifer Vonk, Psychology, 2021

Mentorship styles need to be adjusted depending on individual students’ abilities, ambitions and resources. I think it is important to be flexible and adjust demands and levels of support depending on what students need to meet the goals that are important to them. I start off by providing opportunities to get involved in research and gain valuable experiences such as presenting at conferences and co-authoring papers but I adjust those opportunities based on how well students take advantage of them. That is, the most industrious students receive more opportunities. It is important to let the most competitive students separate themselves from the pack, so long as everyone has those opportunities.

Reference

Pescovitz, O. H. (2023). My mentor quilt. JAMA, 330(12):1137. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.16822

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