A transformative approach to mentoring

Going beyond the one-on-one, top-down mentorship model, College of Health faculty have developed a novel, reciprocal approach that centers on relationship-building, where faculty learn from students and students learn from each other. Their work was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and recently published in the journal Frontiers of Education

They are currently applying this model within a group of 37 undergraduate and graduate public health students who applied to participate in a Systemic Mentorship Community of Practice. In this community, students are learning that everyone brings strengths based on their previous experiences and that in academia, we all learn from one other.

They also are developing a network of care with their surrounding community through relationship-building projects with local organizations and student groups such as the Student Public Health Association, Basic Needs Center, and Vina Moses.

"The Community of Practice is a way to experiment with a different way of being in academia, which puts relationships first,” says co-lead author and Associate Professor Jonathan Garcia. “The way we train and mentor the public health workforce directly shapes how they approach practice, influencing not only the expertise and skills they bring, but also the values and priorities they carry into their careers. It’s already having a significant impact on our students and communities.”

Public health doctoral student Geethika Koneru says the approach has helped her reframe social connections in terms of heart rather than productivity. Doing so, she says, has reshaped her professional identity.

“Since starting my PhD, I had somehow slipped into my brain, leaving most of my heart behind,” she says. “This workshop balanced the scales for me, permanently shifting the center of my work back into my heart by making me aware of this slippery slope in a way that will now always be part of my self-awareness."

Helping students develop holistically is one important aspect of this approach to mentorship. Another is co-creating healthier and more equitable communities through a collegewide commitment to authentic and mutually beneficial partnerships. Both go hand in hand.

“It’s important to ask, ‘What skills are we building in our students so that we don’t overlook the realities and assets of communities?’” says co-lead author and public health instructor Ashley Vaughn. “We want students to see that they can approach their work in partnership with communities, not just as helpers. We want them to consider relationships and community investment not as a means to an end, but as an integral part of our work in public health.”

Undergraduate student Lucy Brotherton says she’s grateful for the opportunity.

“It has been such a special experience to form a community where everyone has a shared passion yet comes from wildly different backgrounds. Our differences are our biggest assets, and combining our unique lived experiences has given our group multiple perspectives to aid us in collaborating and building relationships with local organizations.”

Jonathan and Ashley are joined in this work by Associate Professor Cynthia Mojica, MPH student Gabby Chavez Tista, COH undergraduate Serena Brown, and Stephanie Grutzmacher, University of Arizona, Tucson.