As a mentor, I try to let the student's goals help structure our relationship. Part of that process is to build an understanding of the student, where they are in their intellectual and professional development and their dreams for the future. The more I understand about the student, I can personalize my approach with the overarching objectives-identify related opportunities, develop skills, ask questions, understand and overcome obstacles, clear communication, and productive collaboration. I also like to share my own how I have approached research and overcome my own shortcomings and frustrations as my own experiences can provide guidance for a young researcher.

I will encourage mentees to apply for awards, fellowships, and similar opportunities and will also provide information on where to find such opportunities. For my mentees, I will provide letters of recommendation in consult with the mentees and from documents and files provided to me by each mentee.

With each mentee, I schedule regular meetings to keep progress moving forward. Prior to the meetings, I request mentees provide any drafts of research, quantitative output, or documents for my review, which allows me to create a more productive and structured meeting. As well, it is essential for mentees to prepare for meetings and as such, I ask that mentees maintain a list of ongoing issues of concern so I am aware of issues or problems that the student is having with research.