“My mentor was also an underrepresented student in the chemistry department who shared the same identity as myself. There aren’t many students who look like us and who are able to understand our struggles. It truly can be lonely. By having a mentor that is representative of who you are is so important. They really make you feel as though you can achieve anything. Being a MUSE mentor allowed me to pass on the skills that made be successful. It allowed me to connect with so many younger undergraduate students.”

“Mentors in my undergraduate career have set an excellent example for me, and have encouraged me to do better in chemistry. My biggest mentor in this past year has been Joy Rutherford, a Ph.D. candidate I work with as a researcher in the Nagib Lab. She's always willing to field any questions I may have and is always there through my successes and failures in lab. Being a mentor in MUSE has showed me how important it is to have someone in your corner.”

Trae Wilson, Chemistry Major, Career Goal: Physician

“The graduate students and my research principal investigators (PI’s) have always pushed me and made me want to pursue a career in research and medicine. Through their help, my journey here at Ohio State has been very meaningful to me because they took my aspirations seriously. Mentoring is important for college students because it can help foster a sense of belonging at Ohio State. Working as a MUSE mentor has helped me become a more effective leader. Mentoring benefits both me and my mentee because I get to learn from them but at the same time Integrate what I've already learned from my past experiences.”