STEM Tea | Mentoring first-generation students

Careers and Publishing

AJ chats with Keisha Hardeman (left) and Arnaldo Díaz Vázquez (below) about some of the challenges of being a first-generation student as an undergraduate through to a postdoc and faculty member. They discuss how mentors can empower their mentees to take control of their academic careers and provide a sense of belonging to ensure first-generation students feel supported.

Keisha is a Postdoctoral Scholar and PROVIDES fellow at The University of Texas Southwestern (TX, USA) in cancer biology studying how cells respond metabolically to different types of drugs. Arnaldo is the Assistant Dean for Diversity for the graduate school of biomedical science at The University of Texas Southwestern.

Contents:

  • Introduction 00:00 – 04:47
  • What does first-generation mentoring mean to you? 04:47 – 06:21
  • How does being the first person in your family to go to college or graduate school affect how you adjust as a college student or at the graduate level? 06:21 – 12:30
  • Do you think these challenges end when you’re a postdoc? 12:30 – 18:40
  • How can mentors help alleviate some of these burdens around first-generational challenges? 18:40 – 27:00
  • How can you be an advocate for first-generation individuals at the institutional level? What type of support can institutions provide? 27:00 – 31:53
  • How can mentors become more effective at creating compassion? 31:53 – 38:55
  • What do you mean by your authentic self? 38:55 – 47:10
  • What would be your take-home message about getting the most out of mentoring? And helping first-generation individuals? And what have you been drinking this STEM Tea? 47:10 – 52:20
  • Closing thoughts and social media handles 52:20 – 57:08