From Mentee to Mentor

In 2021, I was fortunate enough to participate in Pennoni's STAR Scholars Program. The summer after my first year, my environmental engineering professor and I conducted a community-focused analysis of heat mitigation techniques used in the Hunting Park neighborhood of Philadelphia. I was also selected by the Center for Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning Excellence (CASTLE) to be a part of Pennoni's Velay Fellows program, which supported me as a woman in STEM and included a facilitated book club, workshops, and mentorship.

My experiences as a mentee helped me develop my role as mentor and gave me insight into just how important communication is in a mentorship.

The STAR Scholars and the Velay Fellows programs were my first introduction to programming through Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs (UREP). Within a short time, I realized that UREP would be one of my best resources to accomplish the goals I have as a Drexel BS/MS environmental engineering student; I soon became a frequent visitor to Bentley Hall. After the director of UREP and co-director of CASTLE approached me before the start of summer quarter about being a Velay Fellows mentor, I began supporting students in both the STAR and Velay programs. I mentored 11 students as a UREP ambassador, as well as 12 students in the Velay Fellows program. My mentees were all in STEM-related fields, such as materials science, engineering, and environmental science. Our group discussions focused on cultivating skills such as résumé building, networking, career discovery, and personal development. I strived to create an environment where my mentees were comfortable coming to me with any questions they had regarding their academic, professional, or personal lives. I think the biggest issue for a lot of STAR students is understanding how to connect their experience with STAR to greater opportunities. I helped them formulate paths for their steps after STAR, such as continuing research through an independent study or applying for a fellowship.

Collaboration and relationship building are vital to any mentorship, so to that end, I organized one of my favorite activities in partnership with my fellow UREP Ambassador. We hosted an event titled "Sweet STAR Social" where we had desserts and coloring books for the STAR Scholars at Cira Green. I was also able to host academic undergraduate panels for both my mentorship programs where I collaborated with many STAR and Velay alumni. My experiences as a mentee helped me develop my role as mentor and gave me insight into just how important communication is in a mentorship. I think the biggest transition from being a mentee to becoming a mentor is confidence. Even though it was only a year ago, I have grown in my experiences at Drexel, which have helped me to become more poised and self-reliant! My advice to other STAR or Velay alumni is to pay it forward to the next group of students; you will grow in ways that you did not expect and meet individuals that can impact your own path at Drexel and beyond.