If Einstein says play is the highest form of research, I like to think undergraduate research is one of the purist forms of academic play. I thoroughly enjoy the sandboxes, obstacle courses, and playgrounds I have gotten to engage in with students and colleagues over my career. I often think, how did I get so lucky and how did I get started? Let’s do a little reflecting in hopes that it sparks you to think of your scholarly roots and how this concept factors into our work planting roots with our students.

I often think back to my undergraduate experience and the seeds planted for what bloomed along my professional journey. I learned to play in the academic space as an undergrad. I was a student-athlete and pre-med. During a j-term shadowing experience, I learned the reality that my physiology and medicine were not compatible. I hit the floor 3 times in my 3 weeks of shadowing – it got worse, not better. My dream of helping people and doing science had to come from a different doctorate path. I know I was lucky to be at an institution that supported engaged learning. I took advantage. I had two undergraduate research experiences at Colby – both course-imbedded and stacked study away experiences

• The 1st was a Jan-plan course measuring the biodiversity in the Mojave Desert. Two professors and 15 students. We cooked, counted plants in squares, and had some of the most intense discussions about adult issues over campfires at night.
• The 2nd was a study away semester with sea education association in Woods Hole. After 6 weeks of course work, 7 faculty and 21 students were the crew and research staff on a 100ft staysail schooner from Miami – Bahamas – Bermuda – Nova Scotia – Cape Cod. Each of the 21 students led a research project, and we all supported each other’s research. My project was Chlorophyll A in the Sargasso Sea. It was everything – cool, challenging, unique. Celestial navigation is no joke – math skills matter.

These project topics did not become the topics of my academic journey, but I can’t help but credit their role in nurturing my curious spirit, teaching me about collaboration and helping my learning be process- rather than outcome-oriented – perhaps it was an important component of launching me into a career of research, teaching, mentoring. When I graduated from undergrad, I didn’t even know exercise science was a field and I could merge my interests of neuroscience, athletics, and movement together – but here I am.

I kept saying yes to opportunities and grabbed on to mentors that poured into me and my growth in all the ways we know that matter (mentoring matters). I like to say, I never really quit college – just changed roles. And while I pursued a career as an academic, I can promise you that this process is transformational to who our students become no matter their next. The process (the fun, the messy, the ah ha moments) of research, the relationship with mentors and peers – this is about bridge building – bridge building to their next – whatever it may be.

Students and mentor work closely together, building a proposal and learning about each other’s goals and expectations. Do not take this time for granted. These are relationships that are foundational to our trajectories. Like me, students may change project focus or career paths, but these relationships shape who we are as scholars, clinicians, leaders, and humans (Mentoring for Learner Success Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). Treat these relationships with care and know that they, as with all relationships, will not be smooth – but mentoring relationships are worth it.

Research mentoring is a particularly vulnerable lane of teaching and learning. Most of us excel as students, and the research process is by its nature messy, jagged, exciting, frustrating, and well, includes lots of ups and downs. To date I have mentored or co-mentored a lot of students formally and countless more informally.

The conversations, the honesty, the time, and outcomes are a big part of what makes our jobs in academia meaningful. I do it in part because of the mentoring relationships I have had throughout my journey some formal and many more informally. These include a professor who gave me a zero on a lab report I turned in complete and on time – because he wanted to help me be a better writer. He really started me on HOW to be a writer, and mentors and colleagues that came after continue to help me in this ongoing journey; writing is hard for many of us – and for me, letting people into my writing process has made me a better writer!

We are a product of a series of relationships with integrity, with curiosity, with respect, with vulnerability, with fear, with success, with conflict, with consequences – and with each other. My point is we don’t do this alone; we can’t do this alone. We are better together because these relationships allow us to learn and grow as people, as partners, and as scholars. Let your mentors in on your learning process and personal growth; mentors here to guide and support and that part often looks – well – it definitely doesn’t look perfect – and it often requires a lot of patience. I do high quality scholarship with students and colleagues that have been part of my vulnerability as a scholar and letting them into and being part of their process of growth matters!

I also hope all of us find time and space in our respective journeys to read and attend events that don’t fit academic lines or majors. For some, this comes easy, and if you are one of the lucky ones, celebrate this. I have had to build in habits of reading off topic, and it definitely ebbs and flows. Find me on the sidewalks or in our local coffee shop; I am always happy to talk about what I am reading and what events have sparked my curiosity. I also want to hear about yours. Here are some nuggets from two books that continue to resonate with me.

One book that I highly recommend for all ages and stages is Bravey by Alexi Pappas. Alexi is an Olympic runner and filmmaker. Alexi is full of nuggets. She talks about mentors, personal growth, and challenge. She was on our campus in Spring 2024 and her energy and message is accessible and playful – all right up my alley. Here are a few of Alexi’s nuggets I want to amplify:

• First: actions, then thoughts, then feelings. In a time when she was in post Olympic depression, a therapist helped her practice that it is about the actions and habits first – walking the walk eventually leads to change in thoughts and with more practice and time to a change in feelings – but it takes time.

• Another nugget a coach taught her about the rule of 3rds – when doing the work to reach goals you have committed to for a set period of time – 1/3 of the time will feel easy/amazing, 1/3 of the time will feel hard/like a grind, and 1/3 of the time will feel fine/meh. That is the sweet spot of growth – it shouldn’t always feel amazing or like a grind. Our journeys should/will have all the feels and that is ok!

• The last nugget I will share she borrowed from a roommate. Every once in a while, she would hear her roommate yell across the house: “NEW DAY!” Alexi asked her why she yelled that, and the roommate said, when I am having a bad day, I start over. PJs on, back in bed, close eyes for a minute and then start the day over – shower, breakfast, it starts a New Day. This – that pivot of – let’s just try this again can really serve as a reset. Don’t be afraid to reset – reset your day, reset a moment, reset a conversation, reset a semester. You can always start a New Day. Alexi has many more nuggets in Bravey – it is a quick read and worth it.

The second book that has stuck with me after reading it several years ago is Emotional Success by David DeSteno. He discusses the power of three virtues that are important to happiness and success in a forward-thinking framework. What I like about these virtues is they aren’t the typical individually focused virtues – grit, passion, perseverance, work ethic. Rather his three virtues are shared, social, and anti-individual. These capture my experiences as a scholar, mentored and mentoring. Gratitude, Compassion, and Pride. . . gratitude, compassion and pride.

Showing gratitude of the time promised and spent as part of mentored relationships – for work put in and compassion for progress not realized, for life that gets in the way, of the many balls we juggle and hats we wear. The colleagues and students I work with are there to pick up balls dropped. Maybe they do it because I did it for them but more likely because we together have worked to foster our community of caring and community where we want each individual and our work to succeed – we are not in competition but in collaboration.

With this work and success comes Pride; proud of ourselves and proud of each other. Each of these virtues requires the ability to look and live forward; to see the work and relationships built now are also important for the future. I strongly believe this gratitude, compassion, and pride are contagious- we can be the change we want to see. Fostering these virtues as part of a mentored undergraduate research experience is really where the power is in these opportunities.

The last concept I want to touch on should come naturally if our focus is on the three virtues of living with gratitude, compassion, and pride. I have a need to address this explicitly as a mother and a scholar – it matters to our shared futures – comparisons and judgement – not worth it, not helpful.

We need to be more than mindful of wording and rather be mindful of the climate created when comparisons and judgement enter our conversations. This is not easy! No one can guarantee it will all “work out,” whatever that even means. My plea to all humans is to stop this dialogue on comparisons of any sorts. Comparisons as students, as parents, as scholars, as friends. It is hurtful to many families and individuals that will never surpass societal standards. Frankly, it is hurtful to all of us.

Instead, it would be so powerful to help each other embrace our individual and collective strengths right where we are and raise the bar around progress not around some societal/social standard. I think it would do a lot for embracing neurodiversity and diversity of all kinds. I also know many of us would find happiness, joy, and notice success along the journey and in the process in so many important ways –  that is what matters.

Walk your journey with gratitude, compassion, and pride and be willing to start a new day or moment as needed. Treasure mentored opportunities to grow, reflect, and find challenge. To walk with vulnerability and without leading with fear and ego. To resist comparisons and rather embrace building on strengths while growing through challenges.

Our scholarly journey is not done alone. Our journeys are best done with friends. Do the work to foster those relationships, then pay it forward…. And don’t forget to play!

References

Ketcham, Caroline J., Eric E. Hall, and Paul C. Miller. 2017. “Co-Mentoring Undergraduate Research: Student, Faculty and Institutional Perspectives.” PURM: Perspectives of Undergraduate Research Mentoring 6 (1): 1-13. PDF LINK

Vandermaas-Peeler, Maureen, Cynthia Fair, and Caroline Ketcham. 2022. “Mentoring for Learner Success: Mentoring is not (just) having a cup of coffee, part 1.” Center for Engaged Learning (blog), Elon University, August 8, 2022. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/mentoring-for-learner-success-mentoring-is-not-just-having-a-cup-of-coffee-part-1.

Vandermaas-Peeler, Maureen, Cynthia Fair, and Caroline Ketcham. 2022. “Mentoring for Learner Success: Mentoring is not (just) having a cup of coffee, part 2.” Center for Engaged Learning (blog), Elon University, August 10, 2022. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/mentoring-for-learner-success-mentoring-is-not-just-having-a-cup-of-coffee-part-2.

Vandermaas-Peeler, Maureen, Cynthia Fair, and Caroline Ketcham. 2022. “Mentoring for Learner Success: Mentoring is not (just) having a cup of coffee, part 3.” Center for Engaged Learning (blog), Elon University, August 12, 2022. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/mentoring-for-learner-success-mentoring-is-not-just-having-a-cup-of-coffee-part-3.

About the Author

Caroline J. Ketcham is a professor of exercise science at Elon University and a seminar leader for the 2024-2026 CEL Research Seminar on Affirming and Inclusive Engaged Learning for Neurodivergent Students. As the 2021-2023 Center for Engaged Learning Scholar, she focused on Supporting Neurodiverse and Physically Disabled Students in Engaged Learning. In 2023, she was recognized with Elon’s Distinguished Scholar Award.

How to Cite This Post

Ketcham, Caroline J. 2024. “Academic Play: The Power of Mentoring.” Center for Engaged Learning (blog), Elon University. September 4, 2024. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/academic-play-the-power-of-mentoring/