On April 14th, I was reminded of the powerful relationships mentoring fosters and the impact it has on our lives.

On that day, I attended the homecoming of Joshua Emmanuel Owus Coramoor. Joshua Emmanuel Owusu Coramore, his 2020 graduate of the University of William and Mary, a chemistry major and soccer linebacker on his team, was found murdered the week before. did.

The circumstances of Joshua’s death were dire and tragic, but being in that service reminded us that great or good mentorship unites our lives and brings us to the highest goal of belonging. Instructors often think of “their” student as someone who completed a course with them, was an academic advisor, or worked in their lab. I was neither his advisor nor my program of study, but he was my student because we were both William and Mary. did not hesitate to do so. In fact, he is honored to have accepted.

I’m guilty of using the terms “training” and “mentoring” interchangeably, but there is a distinct difference between the two. Thanks to my family and mentors for helping me develop my mentoring style. I learned from my peers, students, and colleagues, and observed that programs limited to training gave students fewer advantages than programs with a good mentoring component. help develop coping mechanisms to deal with stress, uncertainty, and the unknown that are essential to I have become an advocate of understanding the difference between training and mentoring. And we will continue to work on using these two terms correctly.

Mentorship is a selfless act. We are focused on serving the best interests of our protégés. The training aims to transfer the competence of the technology leading to the finished product. Yes, mentorship includes this as well, but it’s much more than that and much more rewarding.

Mentoring provides an ongoing foundation, while training is a finite obligation. From my point of view, training is comparable to the assembly line. Individual employees are required to perform defined tasks in order to complete their work. For example, some labs assign students to complete the PCR portion of the project. Students are provided with samples and reagents and taught protocols for successful projects. This is training. Only student hand use is required. Mentorship involves the entire student body.

So how can we expect training programs alone to increase a sustainable pipeline of diversity in science, technology, education and mathematics? It is, frankly, an elusive goal for promoting positive relationships.

My PhD advisors, William R. Eckberg of Howard University, and Winston A. Anderson, an award-winning mentor in science, mathematics, and engineering, mentored me as a graduate student. Coming to Howard from a predominantly white college (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) provided a comfortable place to grow as a scientist. I had no doubt that I belonged.

The most significant moment when I exceeded my expectations was my postdoc experience under Nicholas K. Tonks at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. I belonged when he stated the minimum journal publication he expects from all of us. His expectations of me were the same for everyone else. Everyone was expected to achieve their goals, regardless of their gender, gender identity, or race, although they might have different ways of achieving their goals. It’s worth noting that he paid attention to all of our different scientific and cultural backgrounds, which helped make science excel.

Tatiana Prioleau, a biology major and 2021 William and Mary graduate, is a researcher and now a protégé in my department. “Anyone can train, but not everyone can be a good mentor,” she said.

Note that the adjective is “good” not “great”. We aim to be great mentors. But being a good mentor should help us achieve our goal of providing an environment of diversity and inclusion, and make protégés belong.

A good scientific mentor allows the protégé to grow and develop into an independent thinker under supervision. They teach them that troubleshooting is a major part of learning and allow their protégés to make mistakes while encouraging them to move forward rather than belittle them. Our mentors are committed to the success of each individual student, knowing that this fruitful relationship will enhance their own research programs.

When students are encouraged to think independently, they establish ownership over their projects. This ownership benefits any research program. It fosters work ethic, innovation, creativity and sustained motivation. Students begin to feel a sense of belonging when they know they are being listened to. They know they belong when their mentor’s (or lead investigator’s) actions coincide with important conversations between mentors and students.

Mentors and protégés do not always disagree, nor should they.

A good research mentoring program consists of:

1. It provides an inclusive atmosphere that allows protégés to go from failure to success.
2. Meet each protégé in your research career to understand how people are (or are not) exposed to research at different levels.
3. Challenge mentors by setting high standards that they help reach.
4. It provides a structure for protégés to balance their personal and professional lives.
5. We provide a welcoming environment that protégés want to belong to and a place where they are motivated to achieve their research program goals.

A good mentor enhances the relationship by removing any doubt that the mentor believes in the success of the protégé. This connection allows students to feel confident and comfortable asking questions without worrying about what their mentor might think. And it allows both to be vulnerable, which in turn allows both to grow and develop. Mentors grow by embracing the different perspectives expressed by their students.

Both mentoring and training programs require patience and understanding. However, I hope the difference between the two has been clarified. Don’t confuse training with mentoring.

After completing the training program, your resume and CV will be enhanced. Once training ends, the relationship can end and so can the trainee’s enthusiasm for science. It does not create an environment that indulges exploration. Sure, training ticks boxes, but ticking boxes doesn’t make students want to solve riddles and puzzles. It also does not contribute to the diversification of science.

Mentoring programs build mutual respect, connections, and perhaps lasting friendships between mentors and protégés. These help promote identity, including affiliation. Belonging is essential to STEM diversification. The minimum requirement for good mentorship is that the individual is comfortable and accepted as a valued member of the community.