What is the Mathematics Mentorship Program
The Mathematics Mentorship Program is a collective group of WWU students who are pursuing or interested in pursuing any major or minor in the Mathematics Department. We are focused on cultivating meaningful, supportive, and inclusive mentoring relationships between students within the department.
- Become a resource for support, encouragement, and guidance to students with less experience.
- Build meaningful social and professional relationships.
- Have the opportunity to reflect on your own growth as you share your experience at WWU.
- An opportunity to share any knowledge or advice you wish you knew as a new first year university student.
- Being a mentor is a great thing to put on your resume!
- Gain the perspective of students who are a few steps ahead of you on your path to getting a degree in Mathematics.
- Your mentor is here to provide encouragement, advice, answer questions, and direct you to people or resources that can help you.
- To become a mentor. It is not required that mentors must have been mentees in previous quarters. However, your experience as a mentee will provide you with a smooth transition in becoming a mentor.
As a mentor in this program, you are expected to be:
- Meet with your mentee up to one hour per month. This could be a weekly 15 minute conversation, or a monthly one hour chat. We suggest shorter, more regular conversations at first, but as you develop rapport with your mentee, longer conversations might be more appropriate.
- Get to know your mentee and accept them for who they are regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, educational background, or socioeconomic background
- Listen actively, ask questions and show that you care about your mentee’s success
- Provide guidance, support, and encouragement
- Educate themselves on student resources and events available at WWU to suggest for your mentee. There are many great resources and events available at WWU that can be helpful for both you and your mentee.
As a mentee in this program, you are expected to:
- Maintain active communication between you and your mentor.
- Schedule either weekly 15 minute weekly or 1 hour monthly conversations on any questions you may have.
- Approach your mentor for any guidance you may need in navigating WWU resources.
A mentor is not a tutor, a therapist, an academic advisor, or a counselor. Mentors can touch on many topics but if the mentee has a serious need, the mentor should direct them to appropriate resources. Your Mentor Lead and Student Ambassador can help you with providing you with those resource links and you can always turn to them if you, as a mentor, need advice.