Co-authored with Jessica Barzilay and Alicia Czarnecki.
When Ridwan Alam just started working in a lab as a freshman at Wayne State University in Michigan, he did primarily mechanical work, but by the sophomore year, his research became more sophisticated and demanding. "I grew cells," he said. "I had to be on the schedule of these cells, not on my schedule, even if that meant spending Friday nights and weekend mornings in the lab." His persistence paid off - by his senior year, Ridwan published two papers in the top Neurooncology journal and was admitted to some of the most prestigious medical schools in the country. He is now at Johns Hopkins, where he is now studying to become a neurosurgeon.
Meanwhile, during her sophomore summer on the other side of the country, Harvard senior Sara Price interned on a humanities project called "Philosophy, Education, and Community Action". While Price acknowledges that humanities research may sound like an oxymoron, her project - in partnership with the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA - had very concrete goals: to educate local high school children in critical thinking. Her work took many forms; on some days, she took on the role of a teacher and designed lesson plans. Other days, she introduced philosophy classes to Crimson Summer Academy, an on-campus learning program for motivated high school seniors. When she wasn't leading in the classroom, Price examined texts on the philosophy of education for her project's "Reading Group," which met regularly throughout the summer. The best part? She saw very real educational advances among her students, as they poured hours into reading books assigned at Sara's immersive reading workshops. Sara left the program knowing with confidence that she would become a teacher.
Sara Price, a student at Harvard College. Photo credit: Robert Charles Photography
At the University of Notre Dame, a junior Monica McFadden became involved in research at the Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory under Dr. Robert Nerenberg. "South Bend, Indiana, is not a very well off community, and they do not have much money to put into infrastructure," McFadden says. The City has a combined sewer system, where both stormwater and wastewater are collected in the same pipes, so both rainwater and runoff and sewage discharge from homes and businesses are treated at the City's water treatment plant. This can cause a big problem for the City during heavy rain or snowfall, because it is hard for the system to handle such a big flow, and with sewage in the mix it can be problematic. "I am excited to do research on something that is applicable to the new community in which I live," states McFadden.
Published author in Neurooncology? Check. Proposed a new philosophy of education in high schools in Massachusetts? Check. Researching improvements to the sewage system for a city in Indiana? Check, check, check. Super(wo)men? Sure.
The rest of us can only wonder. How do they do it?
At Project Lever, we call these students Research Stars. They are just starting their careers, but already make very real contributions to research, teaching, or community organizing. They are accomplishing their personal goals, too - getting accepted to the toughest medical schools, patenting their inventions, getting book contracts while in college.
Our team has spent the last three years deconstructing student success and achievement and connecting students with the resources that they need to succeed. From years of interviews with students, their faculty, and university administrators, we can confidently say: one of the main factors in their success was always quality mentorship.
Mentors opened many doors for our students, starting at the very beginning of college. Monica McFadden met her future mentor, Dr. Robert Nerenberg of the University of Notre Dame, on a visit to campus as she was still looking for colleges. Dr. Nerenberg told her that Notre Dame students could get involved in research even as freshmen; "It sold me on Notre Dame," says McFadden. "I was debating between two schools, but I walked out of that meeting knowing where I wanted to go."
Notre Dame student Monica McFadden.
Later in their college careers, mentors encouraged our Research Stars to develop and strengthen their academic networks. Ridwan remembers how working in the lab on Friday nights and weekends earned him the respect of his mentor, and brought him even closer to his colleagues. "We bonded," Ridwan says of his labmates. "I learned from the incredible work ethics of my mentors and colleagues. Yes, it was tough, but I wouldn't trade it for anything." The recommendation letters from his PI certainly played a major role in his medical school applications.
Of course having a mentor sounds appealing - who would not want more quality recommendations, inspiration, and guidance from the established professionals in your field? However, like most good things in life, starting and maintaining the relationship with a mentor takes effort. How exactly, you ask? Stay tuned for our next post in a week.
Do you have mentors that are helping you succeed in college? Tell us your story in the comments!