A mentor is a guide. A champion. A person who shares their knowledge, and helps you to find your way. Ana Leal ‘22 explains it well, reflecting on the mentorship of chemistry professor Serge Schreiner.
“Dr. Schreiner has been instrumental in my life and career. Over the years, he became more than a professor or research advisor, but a mentor to me. I am a first-generation student and neither of my parents speak English, so I was navigating college in the U.S. by myself. He was the one who helped and guided me.”
Ana Leal ’22
At RMC, professors make connections with students in many ways. Many mentors start as a student’s assigned advisor or meet students in class, and then carry those connections outside the classroom to supervise student research, connect students to internships, and spend time during office hours.
But mentorship is in the water at Randolph-Macon. It’s just part of who we are and how we believe in educating students. Students also find formal and informal mentors among staff who supervise student employment or who support students as part of their jobs. Coaches and alumni get in on the action too.
Even before new students arrive on campus, you’ll hear from your very first mentor – your Captain! Your New Student Transition Captains (or “Captains” for short) will be your orientation leader and more. They’ll help guide you through whatever waters you travel in your first year at RMC, through official events and fun programming, informal check-ins, and even a class called Yellow Jacket Success Strategies. Later, you can connect with Peer Academic Coaches who can help support you in developing good study habits. We build community, all along the way.
Graduating seniors reguarly cite the special relationships they had at RMC as transformative. So we set up a chance for them to tell their mentors.
