MENTORSHIP IN ACTION: REFLECTIONS FROM A DOCTORAL MENTOR
Insights, challenges, and triumphs from guiding students through their academic journeys.
MacDonald Chaava, MHA, DHA
January 05, 2025
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Abstract
Mentorship is vital in supporting students navigating the rigorous academic process, particularly in doctoral studies where challenges often feel insurmountable. This article reflects on my experiences as a doctoral mentor, guiding students facing unique and complex obstacles. Drawing from real-life cases, I highlight the importance of personalized guidance, ethical boundaries, and fostering resilience among mentees. Each student’s journey underscores the necessity of academic rigour, the adaptability required to address individual needs, and the significance of perseverance in balancing education, employment, and home life. I also share lessons learned from my own doctoral experience, emphasizing the mentor’s role in equipping students with essential tools and strategies to overcome barriers. Ultimately, this article showcases mentorship as a transformative process that bridges gaps in academic progress and empowers students to turn despair into success.
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Mentorship: Stories of Perseverance and Transformation
Mentorship is about walking alongside someone on their journey of growth and transformation. It is neither straightforward nor easy, but its impact on both mentor and mentee is profound. Over the years, I have mentored several doctoral candidates who found themselves at critical junctures in their academic pursuits. To preserve their privacy while maintaining the authenticity of their experiences, all names in this article have been changed.
Mentoring has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my post-doctoral experience. It has kept me mentally engaged, reconnecting me with the basics of academia, and allowing me to assist students as they navigate the complexities of their academic journeys. The first step in the mentoring process is understanding where the student is on their path to success and reflecting on my own experiences at that stage of the doctoral journey.
Among the students I mentored, Sariah in California was on the verge of giving up entirely. Justin, also in Florida and Ash in New York were referred to me by colleagues familiar with my work, while Myra in Chicago was referred by her professor, who had heard of me through another student I had supported. Each faced unique challenges that threatened to derail their progress.
Despite their differing circumstances and disciplines, these students shared a common need: personalized guidance, encouragement, and expertise to overcome obstacles. They approached me after countless failed attempts to address their challenges, overwhelmed and fearing that their situations were beyond redemption. They had to be convinced that with the right approach and determination, their struggles could be transformed into success.
Adaptability in Mentorship
Each student’s challenges required me to adopt a flexible approach, tailoring my mentorship to their specific needs. For example:
- Sariah struggled with academic writing standards and needed extensive revisions to her proposal.
- Justin needed help aligning his study subject with his chosen discipline.
- Ash faced difficulty narrowing her research topic.
- Myra struggled with data collection strategies and selecting the appropriate mathematical tools for analysis.
Andrea, another student who connected with me through an online group, sought emotional support rather than technical guidance. With their personal life in turmoil, Andrea felt drained and uncertain about the way forward. What was needed most was encouragement and a listening ear—someone to empathize with the struggles and help envision a hopeful path ahead. Gradually, Andrea began to recover from the stress and started piecing life back together.
The ability to switch between roles as a motivator, technical guide, and problem-solver was essential in addressing their needs effectively.
Lessons from My Academic Journey
During my time at the University of Phoenix, I benefited from short, three-day enrichment courses on topics such as academic writing, grammar, vocabulary, and research strategies. These courses enhanced my confidence and provided me with skills that proved invaluable in mentoring others later.
My approach to selecting elective subjects during my studies was equally strategic. Rather than choosing the “easiest subjects,” I selected those that offered strategic, practical knowledge and prepared me for a diverse and expansive future in healthcare. This approach aligned with the University’s framework of Scholar, Practitioner, and Leader (SPL), which shaped my perspective on the doctoral journey and guided my decision-making.
These experiences reinforced the importance of rigour, preparation, and a forward-thinking mindset—values I emphasize in my mentoring.
The Academic Process and the Role of Mentorship
The academic process is a structured journey requiring engagement with material, critical thinking, research, and application. At the University of Phoenix, students are taught that rigour lies at the heart of this process—not about always getting it right the first time but about persevering through the challenges.
Many doctoral candidates balance their studies with full-time jobs and home responsibilities, making time a scarce resource. Mentors play a crucial role in helping students manage these demands by introducing them to tools like Grammarly, Mendeley, and RefWorks, which streamline writing and research processes.
However, mentorship is only a supplement, not a substitute, for a student’s own effort. It must adhere to strict ethical standards, ensuring that the student’s work remains their own. Shortcuts that bypass the rigour of learning undermine the academic process and compromise the value of their education.
The Case of Sariah: A Journey of Transformation
Sariah’s journey began with a desperate plea for help. Frustrated and uncertain, she felt stuck and was on the verge of putting her doctoral aspirations on hold. Her vulnerability struck a chord with me, and I offered to help, providing my email address. I couldn’t ignore her plight, especially since I knew firsthand how critical personal guidance can be. During my own doctoral journey, a single PowerPoint presentation shared by a mentor transformed my failing presentation into an excellent one within minutes.
Sariah’s challenges, however, were far more complex. Coordinating across time zones from California added to the difficulty, but we eventually scheduled a call. I assured her that I could help, drawing on my experience with other students. Initially, she hesitated, concerned about the financial costs involved. I reassured her that her success was my priority, and we could discuss fees later.
When I received her work, I was taken aback. Her writing skills were severely lacking—poor grammar, inadequate referencing, and a disorganized structure. For a moment, I questioned whether I could help her. Nevertheless, I committed to the task and began suggesting revisions to her paper. To formalize our arrangement, I drafted a contract to ensure clear boundaries and expectations. Sariah reviewed and signed it, and I dove into the work. What I initially thought would take a few hours stretched into weeks. Her paper required a complete overhaul, though she preserved her references and stayed true to her research intent.
As we reviewed her proposal, it became apparent that her writing was influenced by the thought processes of her native language, which posed a challenge in terms of adhering to the conventions and subtleties of academic English. This required not just correcting grammatical errors but also restructuring ideas to ensure clarity and coherence within an academic framework. While grammar-checking tools can assist in making such corrections, they often risk altering the meaning behind the narratives. This is where the interaction between mentor and mentee becomes most crucial, ensuring that the intended message remains intact while meeting academic standards.
Throughout our interaction, I maintained a strong commitment to ethical boundaries. This included ensuring transparency in line with our agreement, safeguarding her intellectual property, and respecting her autonomy in making final decisions about her work. My role was always to guide and support—not to impose or take ownership of her academic journey.
After weeks of gruelling effort, Sariah submitted the revised paper. Her professor was astounded by the transformation, commenting that her work had gone from "dead to alive." From there, only a few minor adjustments were needed to align the proposal with her discipline and research methodology. I guided her through those changes as well, ensuring that her work not only met academic standards but also preserved her unique voice and intent.
Mentorship: A Challenging Yet Rewarding Role
Mentoring is a rigorous procedure necessitating profound comprehension and expertise in the relevant subject or issue, as well as patience, adaptation, and perseverance. It frequently entails late nights, prompt replies, and the difficulty of assisting others who find it challenging to properly utilize tools or strategies. Notwithstanding these hurdles, the advantages are substantial—it is profoundly gratifying to observe mentees enhance their confidence, acquire vital skills, and cultivate resilience.
Although editing tools are easily accessible and intuitive, the PhD experience is intrinsically complex, necessitating students to juggle several responsibilities concurrently. These technologies, however beneficial, are inadequate by themselves to tackle the intricacies of academic endeavors. The mentor's function becomes essential here. Mentors facilitate the transition by presenting these tools and instructing students in their proficient application. Through cooperation, the mentor and mentee engage activities, assuring the completion of urgent work while also equipping the student with the capacity to independently employ these resources in the future.
Through the provision of important tools, the promotion of ethical behaviors, and the cultivation of resilience, mentoring becomes a crucial conduit for academic and personal achievement.
Conclusion
The stories of Sariah, Justine, Ash, Myra, and Andrea demonstrate the transformative power of mentorship. Through personalized guidance and unwavering support, these students overcame obstacles and achieved success. Mentorship is not about doing the work for them but about equipping them to navigate their challenges with integrity, perseverance, and resilience.
Walking alongside students on their academic journeys has been both humbling and fulfilling, underscoring the profound impact mentorship can have in bridging gaps, fostering growth, and transforming lives. In my interactions with doctoral candidates, I’ve encountered individuals who, despite their determination, have stretched a journey designed to take four years into a decade. A mentor’s guidance can provide the clarity, support, and structure needed to overcome obstacles, stay focused, and achieve timely success.
Key Takeaways
1. Mentorship's Role: Personalized guidance transforms challenges into success.
2. Rigor Over Shortcuts: Academic success requires navigating challenges, not avoiding them.
3. Adaptability: Effective mentoring addresses each student’s unique needs.
4. Ethical Standards: Integrity in the academic process demands strict adherence to ethics.
5. Resilience and Balance: Success requires tenacity while managing education, work, and home life.
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About the Author
Dr. MacDonald M. Chaava holds a Doctor of Health Administration from the University of Phoenix. He continues to contribute as an alumnus of the College of Doctoral Studies, actively engaging in research and writing. He can be reached at mmchaava@email.phoenix.edu.
