FACULTY MENTORING Building confidence Cultivating leaders Realizing dreams
If you research a definition for the word “mentor,” you won’t find one that comes close to capturing the inspired mentoring of students by North Central College professors—like Marco V. Martinez, associate professor of mathematics. His definition: “Relentless encouragement of mentees to dream big and realize that nothing can stop them from achieving their goals.” Martinez’s definition helps explain why he was honored as the recipient of the College’s 2021 Distinguished Mentoring Award for faculty. He has challenged students from non-majority groups and first-generation families to take control of their college experience so they don’t become passive bystanders in their educations and careers. Other faculty members, like Jennifer Shah, assistant professor of education, use mentoring to create more inclusive learning environments. And Carly Drake, assistant professor of marketing, is continuing North Central’s tradition of meaningful and impactful faculty mentoring for student-athletes. The value of mentoring at North Central is reflected in the College’s branding, which highlights the role of faculty in developing students’ competencies, confidence and character—and in supporting their pursuit of goals beyond what they thought possible.
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