Abstract
The development of students, leaders, and professionals is complex and mediated by diverse personal, social, and environmental factors. As result, every human story includes meaningful narratives and experiences that hold compelling truths and insights. My story begins with being both Latino and White. As a biracial individual, I found that it could be challenging to find a perfect fit within two cultures differentiated by unique methods of communicating, thinking, behaving, and living. At various points in my professional development, I questioned whether someone, like myself, could develop the skills necessary to become a successful colleague or leader. In those moments, sincere mentors recognized my self-doubt and acted in my behalf. These mentors did not fear that I was different. Rather, they encouraged me to apply my diverse background to understand, include, and serve my students and the broader community. Together, we acted as a collaborative team. We stretched, pushed one another, learned from our mistakes, and forged unforgettable friendships.
Avoidance and Collaboration
Many educators and professionals avoid mentoring diverse students because they feel underqualified or uncomfortable. This stems from a fear of the unknown or the unfamiliar. Some might worry about being offensive, disliked, criticized, or misunderstood. However, both mentor and mentee share in these feelings of vulnerability. Figureoa and Rodriguez found minorities and underrepresented groups lacked confidence in their abilities to develop professional skills and leadership. Additionally, they felt marginalized without having a sense of belonging. 1 When both mentor and mentee recognize they are both vulnerable, these raw and sensitive emotions act as fertile ground to grow understanding and articulate identity and common objectives. Rather than being a relationship that is one-sided and driven by hierarchy or power, collaborative mentoring allows both parties to act as contributors to the relationship and objectives. As stated by one of my clinical instructors, “I learn more from my diverse students than they learn from me.”
Culture and Identity
Mentoring relationships are cross-cultural. Both mentor and mentee draw from their unique experiences and perspectives to describe, teach, and make sense of the world. 2 In the broadest sense, culture is defined as a set of social norms. Therefore, cultures may exist among different races, communities, workplaces, and/or social systems. Each culture is laced with emotion, historical context, and paradoxical change. 1 Within healthcare, an overlying organizational culture outlines valued assumptions, knowledge, and practice standards based on the organization’s mission, administration, and goals. However, when it comes to the actual day-to-day application of what is valued, different teams may or may not respond to meet these overarching standards in the same way. Therefore, practice culture is dependent on individuals who consistently balance their individual perspectives with their healthcare role and choose dynamic changes according to the needs of their team and the patient. 3 As result, identity influences culture and culture influences identity, but neither are considered stagnant or unchanging. When applied to mentoring, this social and individual dynamic highlights the need for both mentor and mentee to comprehend, respect, include, and respond to diverse ideologies and practices.
Respect
Cultural respect requires a combination of awareness, sensitivity, and humility. Mentors and mentees must recognize the differences between individual cultures, but shy away from giving any difference a judgment of good/bad or wrong/right. In this way, each is humbly committed to a process of self-evaluation, observation, listening, and learning. 1 When traveling to China on a study abroad opportunity, I recognized several cultural differences when compared with my social norms, in the United States. I was unfamiliar with the language, the food, and the Chinese way of life. However, as I observed the two young students assigned to me as guides, within their college of medicine, I felt akin to their humanity and core values. For example, these students demonstrated sincere love and kindness to each other and to everyone around them. They had a curiosity and a tenacity to learn and understand new things. They loved to laugh, and they wanted human connection. They had an eye for detail and expected excellence. At their core, these young professionals were healthcare workers in every sense of the definition who wanted to acquire the best ways to practice and serve their community.
An Approach to Mentoring Diverse Students: E. M. B. R. A. C. E.
Based on the model published by Alston and Hansman, I would like to highlight seven steps to approaching mentoring with diverse students.
The Rewards of Mentoring Diverse Students
It has been my opportunity to teach and to be taught by many of our Native American students in the Four Corners region of the United States. Recently, I interviewed Nizhoni Perkins regarding her experience as a biracial student and asked her to share with me some of her thoughts and feelings about her Navajo and White heritage, the people who have mentored and shaped her life, and how it has benefited her and her community. From her interview, the benefits of mentoring diverse students are clearly exemplified.
To begin, Nizhoni expressed her gratitude for her mixed culture, and she acknowledged family, teachers, and professionals who mentored and supported her through her individual and professional development.
I have had many people guide me through life and education. I consider my mother one of my biggest mentors. She encouraged me to continue my education and to learn more about what it means to be a Diné woman. As a biracial individual, I do not look fully Navajo and I am not entirely fluent. I don’t look like I quite belong in either of my families. However, that doesn’t change who I am and who I descend from. I have many strengths, along with many weaknesses. My mother highlights my strengths and helps me know where to apply them. She reminds me there is always room for improvement. She understands the importance of her role in this world and didn’t change who she was to get there. A mentor may not always be close family. My teachers and clinical instructors also have served as mentors to me in many aspects. They help me look beyond the horizon and have opened my eyes to many opportunities. They have built a personal relationship with me and have continued to be my cheerleader. Even when I limit myself, they remind me of my positive traits. They value who I am as a person. They don’t try to change or suppress any part of me. They help me see what I can accomplish, and with their guidance they help me continue to grow. Critiques are appreciated and by making mistakes that is how we learn. Mentors help you navigate outside your comfort zone and instill confidence in you to conquer fear.
Next, Nizhoni highlighted how her experience, her understanding, and her love for her culture supports and assists her professional and wider community. She also provides a beautiful description of a Navajo philosophy that strikes a chord with all of humanity: I often feel like a chameleon having to switch between patients. I am overjoyed when I can use my experiences and apply it to my practice. I have learned enough Navajo to help work with my patients and make them feel a part of their care. Building relationships and trust immediately improves the quality of care. I work with people from all walks of life and I have learned to apply their knowledge to my work. Including the opposite. I am constantly learning. . . In the Navajo culture we abide by the philosophy of Hózhó. Hózhó translates to peace, love, joy, and harmony. It can also be described as “Walk in Beauty”, (hózhóogo naasháa doo). It is a concept of bettering your spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical being. Building healthy relationships with nature and loved ones. Finding a balance between good and bad as well as improving ourselves in speech, thought, and actions. It is a constant battle of retaining harmony and conquering fear. Fear leads to destruction of the spirit and imbalance. In healthcare we see the good and bad. I have been taught to “Walk in Beauty” despite all the hardships and to sweep fear aside. Regardless of your race, everyone can learn to live under the concept of Hózhó. There is beauty in life. There is beauty in every culture. Learning and asking leads to growth. Fear leads to confusion and ignorance.
Last, Nizhoni encourages each of us to become mentors and incorporate all that is good in every culture.
Be an example by asking questions respectfully and not turning a blind eye to culture. Yes, there are differences and yes they can be uncomfortable to face or ask about. Again, life is a challenge of finding balance. Challenge yourself to learn. Challenge yourself to face discomfort. Challenge yourself to see beauty in differences. Healthcare happens to be very diverse in every aspect. Knowledge leads to growth, and this growth helps us become better healthcare workers and mentors. We don’t want to isolate our culture that is how it continues to die. We must use it to our advantage.
Conclusion
Mentoring diverse student populations is a gift of transformation. Both mentor and mentee engage in becoming better selves and better global citizens. They also come to influence professional practice characterized by greater perspective of and respect for one another, patients, and diverse communities. Understanding and bettering one another is key to human connection that invigorates healing, collaboration, and peace. A powerful statement given by a clinical instructor was, “I don’t necessarily see the differences anymore. All I see are community and my family.”