1.2 Rewards for the Mentee

There are both personal and professional benefits of becoming a mentee. Consider the following non-exhaustive list of benefits:

• Clear understanding and advancement of academic and career development plans;
• Development of a lasting career network within a chosen field;
• Enhanced perspectives on navigating career choices;
• Increased awareness of career success factors;
• Expanded engagement through a network of collaborations with like-minded peers;
• Identification of researchable questions and practice with applying systematic approaches to inquiry;
• Well-practiced communication (verbal and written) and organizational skills;
• Opportunities to apply for internships, scholarships, and conference presentations;
• A direct feedback loop to the mentor about curriculum ideas;
• Valuable experience working in a structured, task-driven team environment with deadlines and deliverables;
• Opportunities to apply problem solving and critical thinking skills; and
• Psychosocial support (encouragement, open continuous dialogue, and role modeling).

The benefits of mentoring for the mentee can range from a simple validation of the Gen Ed skills, knowledge, and ethical dispositions presented by faculty in the classroom to an extraordinarily positive life-altering experience. The mentoring relationship developed between undergraduate students and faculty goes beyond the attainment of academic and scholarly success. It can build, strengthen, encourage, and inspire both parties to grow personally and intellectually. This process can also produce a cyclical feedback loop that enables and equips mentees to become future mentors, thereby continuing the cycle.