As an educator and mentor, I endorse Allan G. Johnson's assertion in Privilege, Power, and Difference that the most pressing troubles of our time are different forms of oppression, including racism, classism, sexism, and homophobia. I see mentoring marginalized students in predominantly white institutions as a political act that involves sharing skills and strategies that help them navigate spaces not designed for them. The core pedagogical values and beliefs that underlie my teaching and mentoring include the idea that (1) that teaching is important and worthy of serious scholarly consideration; (2) that students can and do learn from one another; (3) that collaborative learning builds habits of mind that enhance critical thinking; (4) that in order to teach and learn about systems of oppression, we must acknowledge that emotion, empathy, and imagination play essential roles in critical inquiry. Therefore, I see learning, teaching, supporting one another, and collaborating as useful tools for dismantling academia's culture of individualism and competition.