MENTEE TO MENTOR: LESSONS LEARNED IN THE FIELD WITH GEOSPACE

Geoscientists spend large amounts of time during their formal training learning new methods, techniques, and time in the field to become a professional in their field of study. These experiences are vital to their development, but do not prepare them to transition from the role of mentee during their training to the role of mentor upon entering their professional career. This is especially important for students from underrepresented groups that traditionally fail to see themselves represented in a professional setting. Lack of seeing oneself in the professional geoscience community is a culmination of several barriers including physical, social, financial, or a lack of a shared identity with potential mentees. In some instances mentees and mentors that lack a common identity can unintentionally create uncomfortable experiences as they are learning to work together, echoing the importance of having mentors with a shared lived experience. During the GeoSPACE Program (NSF Award 2023124) we were navigating this new landscape as early career professionals mentoring students with similar lived experiences to our own, yet we did not have this identity-based mentorship ourselves as trainees. Here we will share our experiences and lessons learned prior to, during, and after our field experiences in northern Arizona. We will discuss the importance of creating a supportive learning community through crafting codes of conduct and communication platforms, assisting students with data collection and interpretation, building up their communication skills through informal presentations, and talking openly about the complexities of being geoscientists with marginalized identities. Through our experiences we hope to provide other early career professionals with examples of being an effective mentor, while also managing their additional responsibilities during field based instruction.