Finding a Mentor

The student’s mentor ensures that students are taking the best classes to enhance the degree’s link to the student’s career plans. Hence, the student must find a mentor who is doing research and/or teaching in an area of sustainability that is closely tied to the student’s career goals.

Tips on finding a mentor:

1. Consider your career goals and try to match your goals with the faculty member and potential mentor’s areas of research and teaching. You can examine their individual webpages, and also refer to their curriculum vitae, here: http://hb2504.txstate.edu/. As examples: if you are interested in pursuing a career in public policy, then a sustainability faculty member in Political Science would be a fruitful option. If you are interested in starting or contributing to a composting or recycling program for an organization or agency, then a faculty member in Agriculture or Biology would be a good option for you.  If you are interested in conducting research about sustainability for an organization or agency, then a faculty member in Sociology might be a good option for a mentor.
2. Contact one or more of the Sustainability Faculty Advisory Council members with a request to serve as a mentor or a request for names of potential mentors. 
3. Contact the potential mentor via email with your career statement. Tell her or him why you think that he or she is a good match for you.
4. Note that mentors occasionally say no because they are mentoring too many students at the moment or perhaps see a better fit with another faculty member.
5. Once you find a willing and available mentor, you will notify the Sustainability Studies Grad Director. 

Finally, you may also contact the graduate advisor of the MA/MS program (socigrad@txstate.edu) if you need more advice. Send your career statement to her or him with your inquiry.