Honors Mentor Council
How to Become a Mentor Council Member
All previous mentors who are committed to returning the next year are eligible to apply to become a Council Member for 2022. Applications will be open from November 15-December 3, 2022. Notifications about acceptance will be sent mid-December. Current mentors will receive the application form via email. Those interested in applying to the Council are strongly encouraged to attend the Pass the Torch event on November 18, 2022 in the STEAM Lab from 5:30-6:30 PM. Please contact program director Dr. Katie Jarriel (kjarriel@purdue.edu) if you have any questions.
Council Members and Executive Officers begin their terms at the start of the Spring semester and continue through the end of the Fall semester, allowing them to select and train their own mentor cohort.
Overview
The Honors Mentor Council is the student-led steering committee that oversees the extracurricular programming of the Honors Mentor Program. The Council is led by two executive officers, the President and the Vice-President. The rest of the Council serve on one of three committees.
The Mentor Council has four primary goals:
- Build the mentor community through extracurricular programming
- Foster mentors’ development of leadership competencies
- Promote diversity and inclusion
- Serve first-year students beyond the HONR 19901 classroom
Mentor Council members help run key events that are central to the functioning of the program, including a callout and interview process in the spring and the orientation and training in the fall. Beyond this, the council builds the mentor community through casual meetings and major events, coordinates a network of communication and support through team leads, and communicates programmatic values through a variety of media platforms.
Council members gain opportunities that go far beyond the usual mentor experience, as they identify and hone skills necessary for large-scale organizational leadership. They gain a deeper appreciation for how leadership works from an institutional perspective and across a larger population – a significant departure from leading small groups. Mentor council members have a scope of influence that very few students ever experience: they help select and empower 99 peer mentors, and through these mentors they impact the first-year experience of over 700 students each year. Ultimately, council members have an opportunity to impact the John Martinson Honors College community in profound ways.
Roles & Responsibilities
The Mentor Council consists of Honors mentors that are highly dedicated to the program and are eager to shape its vision and implementation. Council members begin their yearlong tenure in January, and it is assumed that they will participate in the Mentor program in the Fall semester. These members take on specific roles in their efforts to support the mission and goals of the program. That said, the council is highly collaborative, so members often share in the roles of others and thus gain similar skills.
Council members are expected to commit an average of 3-4 hours per week attending a one-hour Council meeting, a one-hour committee meeting, planning and attending events, and completing other duties related to their role.
Committees of the Mentor Council
- Executive Officers: The two executive officers work closely with the program director and are responsible for ensuring that all council efforts and initiatives are aligned with the core goals. In both the Spring and Fall semesters, the executive officers take the 1-credit independent study course HONR 395: Executive Leadership with the program director. They are responsible for running council meetings and communicating important information to the larger Mentor Program. They are also responsible for keeping track of monetary and other resources available to the program.
- Event Planning: The members of the Event Planning committee coordinate major events, including mentor interviews, the legacy event, mentor orientation, and the Ment Gala. These council members rely heavily on decision-making, planning, systems thinking, and problem solving skills while ensuring that events run by the Mentor Council meet their intended goals. They also have several opportunities to hone their public speaking skills.
- Community & Outreach: The members of the Community & Outreach committee utilize casual gatherings and media platforms to inspire mentors, increase engagement, foster community values, and promote events. They are also responsible for visual media related to the program. These members will rely heavily on their organizational and communication skills during their term, and hone their capacity for interpersonal motivation and empowerment.
- Team Building: The Team Building Committee supports the team leads for each of the different “flavor” teams of HONR 299. The Team Building Committee helps team leads to cultivate a sense of community and foster peer networks of support between mentors. The Team Building Committee creates research-informed activities that help mentors develop psychological safety, address bias, and generate passion for the program and its vision.
2022 Mentor Council
Sterling Saint Rain, Co-President
Sterling is a senior majoring in Mathematics with a minor in Philosophy. They serve as Co-President of the Honors Mentor Program, and will be entering their third year as a mentor. Thrilled by the opportunity to help first-year students and further the HMP mission, Sterling is highly enthusiastic to have a positive impact during their tenure, and they hope to leverage their passion to support the Honors community. Outside of the HMP, Sterling can be found ranting about Victorian romance to anyone who will listen, engaging in a philosophical discussion with friends, or listening to music religiously. Sterling plans to become a professor of mathematics, and they hope that their time with the Honors Mentor Program will help equip them with skills and experience that will allow them to be a mentor to their students, not just an instructor. Sterling’s top three leadership competencies are reflection and analytical reasoning, personal responsibility and receiving feedback, and continuous learning.
Bianca Caminada, Co-President
Bianca is a senior majoring in Physics Honors. This will be her third time mentoring and she is excited to serve this year’s program as Co-President. Bianca is very passionate about creating a safe and enjoyable environment to welcome first-year students to the John Martinson Honors College. To her, the mentor program was essential in her transition to college, so she wants all first-year students to have this same opportunity to enjoy this wonderful program. As part of the Team Building Committee, Bianca is excited to share experiences and assist others in finding their own space in the program. Beyond the mentor program, Bianca serves as the Vice-President for the Women in Physics organization and Vice-President of the Society of Physics Students. She is passionate about creating communities to welcome students and make them feel a sense of belonging within the greater boilermaker community. Bianca has also engaged in undergraduate research since her sophomore year. She currently works for Dr. Ritchie doing single-molecule biophysics work developing a lambda-phage calibration technique for use in magnetic tweezers experiment with protein Ls. After graduating, Bianca plans to follow a path into graduate school and study towards a Ph.D. in biophysics. In her spare time, Bianca enjoys reading, hiking, and working out at the CoRec! Her top leadership skills are teambuilding & collaboration, and adaptability.
Rida Asif Khatri, Chair of Community Outreach
Rida is a third-year student majoring in Biomedical Health Sciences with a concentration in Pre-Medicine. She is also minoring in Psychological Sciences and Biological Sciences. This will be her second time mentoring and her first time on the council. She serves as the Chair for the Community and Outreach Committee and is excited to serve as a liaison between the honors community and this wonderful program. Rida has a strong passion for learning and involving herself in the betterment of the community she embeds herself in. Beyond the mentor program, Rida serves as a Lead Undergraduate Researcher in Dr. Kao’s lab where she investigates how aerobic and resistance exercise affects cognition in both children and adults, as a TA for classes in the Health Sciences department, and works with the John Martinson Honors College’s Global House where she aims to foster a sense of community and support though opportunities for intercultural development for all students. Upon graduation Rida wishes to pursue her Masters of Public Health and eventually go to Medical School. In her spare time, Rida enjoys baking, spending time with her family, and catching up on a good book! Her top leadership skills are cultural intelligence & inclusion, initiative & follow through, and decision making & problem solving.
Kallie Fox, Community Outreach
Kallie is a senior majoring in Political Science with a focus in International relations. She is also minoring in Chinese and Law & Society. This will be her third time mentoring and her first time on the council. She is serving on the Community Outreach committee. She is excited to serve on this committee to help establish a greater connection between everyone in the John Martinson Honors College community and mentor community. Outside of John Martinson Honors College, Kallie is currently a member of Pi Sigma Alpha and CCSE. She is also an Intercultural Ambassador who helps promote study abroad. Kallie also serves as a research assistant hosted by the Political Science Research Collaboratory. After graduation, Kallie hopes to continue her education by going to graduate school and then later working for an NGO focused on solving international conflict. Kallie’s top leadership competencies are personal responsibility and receiving feedback, continuous learning, and adaptability.
Mackenzie Cunningham, Community Outreach
Mackenzie is a senior majoring in Genetics and minoring in Forensic Sciences. This will be her third-year mentoring and first year on the council. She serves on the Community Outreach committee. Mackenzie is ecstatic to work on the Honors Mentor Council to provide support to first year Honors students as they transition to life at Purdue, returning mentors as they continue their leadership development, and new mentors as they navigate the development of their leadership styles. To her, the mentor program provides the space for mentors to not only learn group dynamics and leadership competencies along with fellow mentors, but also have the opportunity to embrace their own leadership style for a group of mentees. Outside of the mentor program, Mackenzie serves as a Research Assistant in Dr. Janice Evans’ lab studying reproductive biology, specifically in meiotic cycle manipulation. Mackenzie is also a Resident Assistant in the John Martinson Honors College, which gives her the opportunity to continue the support of first year honors students. Upon graduation, she hopes to continue her education in graduate school. In her free time, Mackenzie enjoys reading and hanging out with friends and family. Her top leadership skills are mentoring & empowerment, listening & observing, and systems thinking & planning.
Neha Kapur, Co-Chair of Team Building
Neha is a senior majoring in Biomedical Health Sciences with a Pre-Dentistry concentration and a minor in Biological Sciences. This will be her second time mentoring and her first time on the Council. Serving as the Co-Chair for the Team Building Committee, Neha is excited to use her role to connect with the Team Leads and foster an uplifting environment for the incoming mentors! Outside of the mentor program, Neha is an Undergraduate Research Assistant for the SPITLab where the aim of the project is to determine whether salivary alpha-amylase activity corresponds to the amount of starch in a person's diet & the sensory perception of food. Additionally, she serves as a Peer Research Mentor for the Office of Undergraduate Research, a HHS Mentor for the College of HHS, and the Treasurer of the Purdue University Neuroscience Society. Lastly, she spends her time volunteering as a Dental Assistant for the Chicago Dental Society's Foundation Clinic & Smiles for Life Pediatric Dentistry. In her free time, Neha enjoys spending time with friends and cooking new recipes. Her leadership competencies include teamwork and collaboration, reflection/analytical reasoning, and continuous learning.
Aakar Jain, Co-Chair of Team Building
Aakar is a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering and planning to minor in Computer Science as well. This will be his second time as a mentor and first time serving on the council. Being a part of the Mentor Program has helped boost his self-confidence and as co-chair of the Team Building Committee. He hopes to ensure that mentors can have a similarly positive experience in the program through guiding Team Leads on how to build community within their flavor teams. Outside the Mentor Program, he tends to dedicate himself to his course work for the most part though he's also a Resident Assistant in the John Martinson Honors College and a member of Purdue Electric Racing. He is aiming for a career in the field of renewable energy or energy storage. In his free time he enjoys playing video games and hanging out with his friends, taking walks outdoors, and brainstorming how to make conversations less awkward. His top leadership skills are group development, being inclusive and understanding of others' circumstances, and self-reflection.
Sean Giltmier, Chair of Event Planning
Sean is a senior majoring in Biology with a minor in Forensic Science. Following the Pre-Dental concentration at Purdue, he is currently working on completing the application process to attend Dental School in Fall of 2024. He currently participates in undergraduate research with the Purdue Sleep and Developmental Studies Laboratory, through which he is studying the effects of podcasts marketed as sleep-aids on adult viewer sleep onset latency. In his free time, Sean enjoys cooking and spending time with friends and family. This is Sean’s third year as a mentor and first year as a council member. As a mentor, he has had the privilege of collaborating with many professors, fellow mentors, and mentees. Through the mentor program, Sean has continued to develop his leadership skills through active consideration and participation with leadership development programming and training. His top leadership competencies include facilitation, group development, and continuous learning, and he is looking forward to further developing these and the rest of the leadership competencies this year.
Katlynn Mistina, Event Planning
Katlynn is a sophomore in Biomedical Health Sciences with a concentration in Pre-Medicine. She is also minoring in Biological Sciences and Spanish for the Professions. This will be her first time on the Council and second time as a mentor. As a member of the Event Planning Committee, Katlynn looks forward to strengthening the John Martinson Honors College community by interacting with and supporting many first-year students and mentors. She feels that the John Martinson Honors College and the Honors Mentor Program has provided her the opportunity to help others grow while also growing in her own ways. Outside of the mentor program, Katlynn is an Undergraduate Research Assistant in Dr. Patrick Kerstein’s lab studying neural development, specifically within the visual system. Upon graduation, she hopes to attend medical school and eventually become a pediatrician. In her free time, Katlynn enjoys going for walks and spending time with her friends, family, and dogs. Her top leadership competencies are problem solving, adaptability, and continuous learning.
Luis Almeida
Luis is a junior in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Economics. This will be his second time as a mentor and his first in the council. Excited by the opportunity to work for his community, Luis is thrilled to be in the Event Planning Committee of the HMP Council. Outside the Mentor Program, Luis is currently a member of the Public Relations Committee of the Purdue Mechanical Engineering Ambassadors, and a Teaching Assistant for ME365 Measurements and Control Systems I. Luis wants to pursue a masters in Computer Science and later start his own company in the sector of personal mobility. He believes the Honors College has taught him valuable lessons and created a safety network for him to brainstorm ideas, which will help him in his future endeavors. In his free time, Luis enjoys playing video games, running, and hanging out with his friends. His top leadership skills are listening and observing, reflection and analytical reasoning, and continuous learning.
Dr. Katie Jarriel: Director of the Honors Mentor Program
Dr. Jarriel is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Honors College whose area of study includes the archaeology of Bronze Age Greece and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of human-environment interactions. This is her first year as the director of the Mentor Program. Her vision for leadership is transformative - mentors transform both their teams of mentees by coaching them in collaboration and positive interaction and their own understanding of what it means to be a leader according to their personal ethics and skills. Dr. Jarriel is committed to a leadership model that promotes equity, empathy, inclusion, and genuine commitment to improvement. In addition to her work with the Honors Mentor Program, Dr. Jarriel teaches Honors courses such as Replicants, Pop Culture Classics, GeoSpace, and World-Building. She is a huge nerd who enjoys both board and video games in her spare time, as well as hanging out with her two cats.
