HomeBlogRelationships Student Scholar Perspectives on Mentoring Relationshipsby Matt WittsteinNovember 17, 2025 Share: Section NavigationSkip section navigationIn this sectionPodcasts – Home 60-Second SoTL Limed: Teaching with a Twist Making College “Worth It” Special Series First-Year Seminars Land Acknowledgement Limed: Teaching with a TwistSeason 4, Episode 3 In this episode, guests Azul Bellot and Tiffanie Grant, both Center for Engaged Learning Student Scholars at Elon University, share how mentorship has shaped their confidence, sense of belonging, and academic journeys. Through their experiences, we explore the balance of responsibility between students and faculty, the difference between transactional and transformational mentorship, and how open, authentic relationships can empower growth on both sides. Azul and Tiffanie remind us that students aren’t just recipients of mentorship – they’re active contributors to the process, offering lessons that can benefit both students and their mentors. View a transcript of this episode. Meet Our Panel Azul Bellot, a senior from downtown Los Angeles, California, is double majoring in Psychology and Linguistics with a minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at Elon University. As a first-generation and self-supporting student, Azul embodies resilience, curiosity, and a deep commitment to education and linguistic equity. Through her research in trans linguistics, Azul explores how language, trans identity, and ethnicity intersect to shape access to healthcare for trans women and transfemmes in North Carolina and the US. Beyond research, she applies her passion for language learning as an English instructor for adult learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Azul hopes to continue promoting inclusive language education and culturally responsive communication in both academic and community spaces. Her long-term goal is to bridge linguistic and social gaps through teaching, advocacy, and applied linguistic research. Azul also serves as a Center for Engaged Learning Student Scholar, working with the 2023-2025 research seminar on Mentoring Meaningful Learning Experiences. Tiffanie Grant, a senior from Charlotte, NC, is double majoring in Exercise Science and Neuroscience with a minor in Psychology at Elon University. As an Odyssey Scholar and Center for Engaged Learning Student Scholar with the Center for Engaged Learning, Tiffanie exemplifies dedication, leadership, and excellence in her academic pursuits. In her role as a Student Scholar with the Center for Engaged Learning, she contributes a student perspective to research on Mentoring Meaningful Learning Experiences, helping to foster collaboration and growth within the academic community. Passionate about healthcare, Tiffanie seeks to make a lasting impact by promoting care practices that take a holistic approach to health and well-being, emphasizing the importance of quality care across all aspects of the healthcare system in her future career. Episode Credits This episode was hosted and edited by Matt Wittstein, and produced by Matt Wittstein in collaboration with Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning. Themes and music composed and produced by Kai Mitchell, Elon University Music Production and Recording Arts class of 2024. Kai produces music and releases it across streaming platforms with the producer’s name KVI. You can follow Kai on Instagram @theofficial_kvi. Show art was created by Jennie Goforth and Nolan Schultheis. The Center for Engaged Learning uses Rev.com to create transcripts for each episode. Center Resources Related to this Episode How Scholarship Shapes Our Mentoring Past and Future Limed: Teaching with a TwistSeason 4, Episode 2 What can research on mentoring teach us about building stronger, more equitable learning environments? In this episode, guests Ashley Finley, Jane Greer, and Jessie Moore unpack the scholarly roots of mentoring in… Not Just a Cup of Coffee: Why Mentoring Matters Limed: Teaching with a TwistSeason 4, Episode 1 In this kickoff to our new season, we explore the heart of mentorship in higher education. Guests Titch Madzima, Sabrina Perkins, and Maureen Vandermass-Peeler share personal stories of the mentors who shaped… LGBTQ+ Mentoring, Part 2: When LGBTQ+ Identities are Shared In a previous post, we explained the importance of mentoring lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-, and queer (LGBTQ+) students, and considerations for engaged faculty and staff allies as they engage in doing so. This second post of the two-part series will… Mentoring LGBTQ+ Students, Part 1: Considerations for All Mentors For many students, attending a residential college is the first time they have lived away from home. During this time, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-, and queer (LGBTQ+) students may have increased opportunities to explore, and even freedom to be public… Genealogical Legacies: Comparing Academic and Family Influences Recently, I (Sabrina) attended a workshop hosted by our Undergraduate Research Program (URP) on “equity-centered mentoring in undergraduate research.” The workshop was led by Associate Director CJ Fleming and other URP leaders, and focused on applying the “JEDI-B” framework to… 1 2 … 12 13 > Additional Resources and Citations Hernandez, Paul R. 2018. “Landscape of Assessments of Mentoring Relationship Processes in Postsecondary STEMM contexts: A Synthesis of Validity Evidence from Mentee, Mentor, Institutional/Programmatic Perspectives.” Commissioned Paper Prepared for the NASEM Committee on the Science of Effective Mentoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine, and Mathematics (STEMM). Accessed November 11, 2025. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/25568/Hernandez%20-%20Landscape%20of%20Assessments%20of%20Mentoring.pdf Hurd, Noelle M., Joseph S. Tan, and Emily L. Loeb. 2016. “Natural Mentoring Relationships and the Adjustment to College among Underrepresented sSudents.” American Journal of Community Psychology 57 (3-4): 330-341. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12059 Lee, Michelle C. C., and Alyssa Y.L. Ding. 2020. “Comparing Empowering, Transformational, and Transactional Leadership on Supervisory Coaching and Pob performance: A Multilevel Perspective.” PsyCh Journal, 9(5), 668–681. https://doi.org/10.1002/pchj.345 Rockinson-Szapkiw, Amanda, Jessica Herring Watson, Jackie Gishbaugher, and Jillian L. Wendt. 2021. “A Case for a Virtual STEM Peer-mentoring Experience for Racial and Ethnic Minority Women Mentees.” International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education 10 (3): 267–283. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-08-2020-0053
