Mentor Contacts

From Stepping Up

The process of finding a mentor works in two stages: preparation and contact. Preparation is the key to success.

You can prepare by making an inventory of your research needs and a list of potential mentors. You then contact those potential mentors and try to establish a partnership.

You have to understand that those potential mentors can be quite busy, and that they will probably work with you on a voluntary basis. You have to convince them that it will be a worthwhile investment.

Every time that you contact a mentor, you have to convey some main points:

• That you are credible and dedicated to your project,
• That THEY are the adequate person to mentor you,
• That your project is possibly feasible.

Establish credibility

For some people, it can be quite unsettling that a student in high school wants to carry a research project. They need to be reassured that you are serious about what you are doing. However, it is not necessary for you to know everything; you are seeking a mentor to help you out figuring certain things out after all.

It is of prime importance to mention that the project is part of Science Fair (or other contests/ programs as applicable), so that they know the context of your project.

To show that you are dedicated:

• You can show that you have surveyed the topic of your research project,
• You can mention some readings you did or ideas for the project,
• You can talk about your background and prior experience in science.
• You can leave them the contact information of a reference (to back up your claims and inform the mentors further). This reference could be a school teacher, a local or regional Science Fair official, or even a relative.

At the first contact step, it is not necessary to get into the details of the project, unless the occasion presents itself.

Your contact is the right one

To you, it seems that a given person is "super-cool" and would help you a lot in your project. However, it might not be so obvious to that person why they are the best fit to be your mentor.

People will feel more compelled to help you if they think they are the "right person", i.e. that they are the most adequate to help you out.

• Before contact, try to gain some information on the person and what they are doing,
• Discuss the type of support you are looking for,
• Explain how their expertise can help you do your project,
• Tell them about what led you to contact them.

In case that some person you contact doesn't feel comfortable being your mentor, you can ask them if they can direct you to more appropriate people.

Down to business: project feasibility

Once your contact mentors thinks that you are serious and that they are the right person, the two of you can get down to business, i.e. discuss the feasibility of your project.

You might feel that those issues are best settled in a separate conversation, possibly in a face-to-face meeting. Nonetheless, the following questions are to be expected:

• How long would the project last? What are the deadlines?
• When are you available to carry your experiments? How much time can you spend on the project?
• What are the requirements to participate to Science Fair (written reports, etc)?
• Do you have a budget? What would be the costs of your project?

Have the information ready!

How to contact the mentor

Generally, you can contact the mentor at a work phone or email.

Emails allow more time to think about what you will write. You also have a written record of the communication. However, it is a common case that emails are not answered at all (and not knowing is worse than being rejected).

With phone calls, you will most likely have a direct answer. Prepare some paper and a pen to take notes.

It is also possible to contact the mentor through a third-party, an adult that will "sponsor" you and introduce you to the mentor. This could be a good idea if you are in 7th or 8th grade, since you will have somebody to attest of your interest and dedication.

Good luck!

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