Mentoring relationships are important to the academic success of many STEM students across the country. These relationships open up opportunities to participate in labs that can give students the necessary experience to be successful after college. How has Miami University and the Bridges Scholars program contributed to the success of STEM students and how can they improve their programs in order to ensure that these students are receiving the help they need in order to achieve academic success? Our researcher gathered qualitative and qualitative data from a mass survey and an individual interview with a Bridges Scholars student in a STEM major. Our results found that the majority of Bridges Scholars students have experienced a mentoring relationship, but students who haven’t experienced one are unsure of where to start in the process. The students who have experienced a mentoring relationship have benefitted academically and socially from the experience, showing the important impact of mentoring relationships. Although there are benefits to being involved in a mentoring relationship, the students who haven’t experienced them are missing out on an enriching experience. This data shows that if Miami University and the Bridges program want to increase the academic success of students of STEM students or even students from all disciplines, they must improve the connection between students and mentors. This research experience has positively impacted my career goals in design by allowing me to have research experience as an undergraduate student. Research is important for all fields and gaining that experience as an Undergraduate student prepares us for our futures in design and engineering.
Authors: Paige Johnson-McGill and Jose Jonathan Arthur
Faculty Advisors: Joyce Fernandez, Department of Biology, and Nathaniel Floyd, Librarian
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