Mudders Mentoring Mudders

The Harvey Mudd College Mentoring Program, Mudders Mentoring Mudders (M3), was created so alumni, faculty, and staff could provide support for Mudders during the sophomore year.

The program was conceived in 2011 by Lupita Bermudez ’09, as a result of the major impact a mentor made on her career at Harvey Mudd. After carrying out research in the primary literature, Lupita discovered that mentoring increases student retention and boosts students’ overall well-being. Furthermore, it has an especially large effect on underrepresented students, who often report feeling isolated at Harvey Mudd and typically have higher rates of attrition.

M3 is designed to provide support for Mudders at the fall of their sophomore years, which has traditionally been the most stressful point in college for students. Students report that in their second year, many of the support mechanisms present in the first year fall away, while their course load increases in intensity. The program is open to all students who apply.

Role of Mentors

A growing number of our alumni, faculty, and staff have offered to make a difference in a student’s life by serving as a mentor, which means they will:

  • serve as a mentor for one student for a minimum of one year
  • meet with the student face-to-face at least four times per year
  • check in with their mentee at least once a month via email, phone, or video-chat
  • attend various mentoring activities per year (if possible)
  • provide academic and professional development advice
  • offer support to students and refer to professional staff and resources, as needed

Mentee Expectations

1. Please respond to emails and messages from your mentor promptly. If you have some prearranged appointment with your mentor, make sure to be on time. If you are late or have to cancel, please let your mentor know right away.

2. Attend the kickoff event and other M3 OID related events as you are able.

3. Make a commitment to get to know your mentor and to let them get to know you. Trust grows over time. This person will be your mentor for at least a year during this program.

4. If you have any questions or concerns, contact OID staff: Logan McVaugh (lmcvaugh@hmc.edu) or Veronica Clairmont (vclairmont@hmc.edu).