My mentoring philosophy is guided by the goal of providing students with the guidance and support they need to conduct research independently and with direction. Mentoring will entail routine meetings and check-ins for students to report progress, bring up any unforeseen challenges, and to discuss next steps. Generally, I view the collaborative research experience as an opportunity for students to experience the "sausage-making" of research firsthand. But by asking them to serve in an "assistant" role, I hope that these lower stakes also allow students to make mistakes or encounter the roadblocks that one must overcome when conducting social science research. I consider this one of the most important aspects of gaining research experience. My personal mentoring objective is to leave students with not only technical skills they need to conduct independent research, but also the confidence that is needed to execute tasks and see research projects to the end.