![\"Ayushi](\"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/about\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/Ayushi-and-Nita-1.jpg\")
One of Kansara\u2019s mentees, Ayushi Kashyap, shares her experience. \u201cHaving a mentor I can connect with, especially someone who shares my culture, has made a big difference. It\u2019s helped the school year feel less monotonous and less isolating. Knowing that I can reach out and there will be someone there to help me talk through things makes it a little lighter,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
M3 mentors and mentees connect in ways both casual and meaningful\u2014over meals, coffee, or shared books and ideas. \u201cIt really depends on the mentee,\u201d says Darryl Yong \u201996, McGregor-Girand Chair in STEM Equity Innovation and Research and Professor of Mathematics. Yong co-founded the M3 program and continues to mentor students. \u201cI still chat with some folks, even post-graduation,\u201d he adds. \u201cBeing able to learn together with a mentee is one of the most wonderful parts of my job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mentoring experience supports transformational learning for Mudd students, going beyond academics to develop interpersonal and leadership skills. Yong says, \u201cI get to dive much more deeply into what’s happening in a person’s life beyond their mathematical work in my class. I see mentoring as a bi-directional relationship; we\u2019re both learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just about academics or figuring out what I want to do with life,\u201d says Kashyap. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the few spaces where conversations can be about school, life, identity or anything. That openness makes it feel really genuine and like I\u2019m talking to a friend casually.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Patricia Wang, student accounts manager and mentor since 2012, the program reinforces the College\u2019s emphasis on holistic student support. \u201cThe most rewarding part of being a mentor has been the opportunity to connect on a personal level and build meaningful relationships. It\u2019s a privilege to support students throughout their time here and witness their growth both personally and professionally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wang encourages more staff to consider mentoring. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to be a faculty member to make an impact. Staff bring a unique wealth of knowledge and life experience. Often, what students need most is to know someone here genuinely cares about them and their success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kashyap agrees. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to have all the answers. Just showing up and being real can mean a lot. Sometimes it helps to just be there to talk to your mentee; there is really no need to always have a goal of solving some problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Harvey Mudd continues its work to provide an inclusive and supportive learning environment, programs like M3 are essential to cultivating the kind of compassionate leaders who will shape a better world through STEM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n