When mentoring undergraduate students, I strive to build relationships with the students so they feel comfortable sharing their concerns and struggles with me, whether those are related to research, coursework, or life in general. I value the honoring of imperfection, especially in scientific research. When I was an undergraduate student, I remember thinking that professors could effortlessly formulate and execute their research plans, but now as a professor myself I understand that this is far from reality. Researchers, including professors, fail and get rejected all the time. To be an effective mentor for students, it is essential to share your failures and what you learned from them. This is particularly relevant when mentoring historically underrepresented and first-generation students, who often have limited exposure to academia and the research process. I also will discuss career plans with my mentees so we can try to get them experiences and opportunities, such as presenting their research at scientific conferences, that will help clarify and work towards those goals.