Mentoring Program
About
Mentoring applications for the 2023-2024 program are now closed, advertising to join the mentoring program will begin again in late September 2024.
For more information about the program for this year or next, feel free to email us at wisay.grad.mentoring@gmail.com!
The WISAY Mentoring program is dedicated to facilitating the professional success of young women and gender minorities in the scientific community by establishing and nurturing meaningful mentor-mentee relationships across all career levels.
Through our program, mentees are thoughtfully paired with mentors in more advanced career stages to receive invaluable guidance, support, and encouragement. Our mentors find the experience of sharing their knowledge and expertise with their mentees to be deeply fulfilling.
All mentors and mentees are required to attend our Mentoring Workshop, which takes place in the fall, to equip them with the tools and resources necessary to engage in a productive and impactful mentoring relationship. In addition to one-on-one meetings, we also organize various events throughout the year, including social activities, lectures, and discussions, to encourage and facilitate further engagement and collaboration between matched pairs.
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Quotes from Mentors:
“I think I actually learned a lot for myself while trying to guide, and give advice to a younger scientist. I think it was helpful for my mentee to know that there was someone there who was an unconditional advocate for her.”
“My mentee definitely makes me feel like I am making a difference in her ‘optimism-levels’ for the better. And that makes me feel even more enthusiastic about telling her how cool science is, and helping her reach even higher than she already thinks she can.”
Quotes from Mentees:
“[My mentor] was incredible. She was personable and kind and really, incredibly supportive and understanding. When I needed a sounding board, she listened, and when I needed concrete advice, she helped me find a way to solve whatever the issue at hand was.”
“[My mentor] has been an invaluable resource in helping me search for research experience, as well as a very helpful source of guidance on graduate school, postdoctoral life, and balancing a scientific career with a full life. Every time we talk, I feel that I gain a new perspective on what the “road” ahead of me –in terms of research, grad studies, living away from home, etc.–will be like in a couple of years. It’s been immensely profitable (and fun!) for me to have this interaction with someone whom I respect and very much look up to.”
“I felt that we developed a close relationship over the year and I think signing up for a mentor was one of the best decisions I’ve made at Yale.”