Mentoring Philosophy As a research mentor, my primary goal is to provide students with the knowledge, resources, and experiences that will allow them to see how research is a relevant and powerful tool, regardless of the career path they choose. As a teacher, my goal is to provide students with an interactive and challenging classroom experiences that provides opportunities for critical thinking. Given my background as a psychologist, I have found that some of my clinical training overlaps with teaching and mentoring. For example, motivational interviewing’s foundational spirit of compassion, acceptance, partnership, and respect is directly applicable to a classroom setting. I believe the concepts of open collaboration and goal setting, while increasing motivation and autonomy are key to being an inclusive mentor and effective instructor.