“…Students arrive to college with different motivations and aspirations and can feel intimidated by scientific research and senior academics. As a mentor, it is incredibly important to build an environment where students feel empowered to ask questions and contribute their ideas (Matthews & Rosa, 2018). Through good mentorship, students gain confidence in their research abilities and develop an identity as a scientist (Davis & Jones, 2017;Linn et al, 2015;Roberts & Seaman, 2018), notably an important component in the retention of underrepresented student groups in science, technology, engineering, and math fields (STEM; Strayhorn, 2012, Wilson et al, 2012, Rainey, Dancy, Mickelson, Stearns, & Moller, 2018.…”