Tips for Mentors
1. Take the initiative.
• Find out what your mentee is looking to gain from this experience (choosing a major, finding a
research position, balancing extra-curricular activities and coursework, etc.)
• Eventually, we want your mentee to feel comfortable enough to come to you when she needs you,
but initially this may prove difficult. It is important for you to establish your bond (offer some
advice, maybe share a story about why you would’ve appreciated having a mentor, maybe
something you wish you had known in advance without having to find out the hard way).
2. Keep in touch with your mentee outside of our monthly events.
• Get everyone’s contact information (be Facebook friends, exchange cell numbers and emails).
• Establish good, somewhat regular meeting times for your group. Suggest grabbing a coffee,
getting lunch, or studying together.
• E-mail your mentees occasionally to check in—especially during the busy times when you may
not be able to meet in person.
• Join the AWE Facebook page & encourage your mentee to do so as well
3. After a few exchanges back and forth, emphasize that you are there to help your mentee in any way
possible, and then the mentee should take the initiative to contact you after you all get comfortable with
each other.
4. Familiarize yourself with different services so that you can direct your mentee there if need be:
• Weingarten: academic support center; helps develop skills and study habits. Holds workshops,
walk-in hours, & appointments. Located downstairs in Stouffer Commons
• Tutoring Center: offers free tutoring for most intro-level classes.
• Career Services: will review resumes, help prepare students for internships, assist in job
placement, and give general advice. Located in McNeil building.
• Academic Programs Office: Offers walk-in advising, and can answer many questions about
requirements. Located in Towne 111.
• Penn Course Review: offers student reviews of courses and professors.
https://secure.www.upenn.edu/vpul/coursereview/
• CAPS: Counseling and Psychological Services; open to anyone; offers one-on-one counseling (by
appointment) and group counseling sessions.
5. Otherwise – just make sure to provide positive and supportive feedback! Remember, as a mentor, you
are not an advisor; try to avoid questions like “what classes can I double-count for my math minor”, etc.
Encourage them to apply for that internship or leadership position, go to the Corporate Dinner, or enter
that design/research competition.
6. Keep in mind this program is designed to retain women engineers and provide a networking
opportunity for those involved. If there is a lot of friction between the group and you can't seem to sort it
out on your own, please let us know and we will try to help resolve the problem
Meeting Dates:
Tuesday October 30
Monday November 19