Mentorship

It matters to me that my knowledge and skills have impact on real lives, whether in the classroom when I teach, or outside the classroom when I mentor.

I am committed to improving the climate for women, persons with disabilities and minorities within the discipline of philosophy and in the community at large. It matters to me that my knowledge and skills have impact on real lives, whether in the classroom when I teach, or outside the classroom when I mentor.

2017, Summer Program in Philosophy of Science for Underrepresented Groups at the University of Pittsburgh.

The knowledge and energy to make this commitment a reality come from my experience as a woman of color in philosophy, my research interests in mental disorders and flourishing, my mentorship activities involving students with disabilities, underrepresented minorities in philosophy, underserved student populations and my experience as an international scholar at various academic communities hosting diverse populations.

Here are some highlights from my recent mentorship experiences:

In the Spring of 2019, I received the American Philosophical Association’s “Mentoring the Mentors Workshop” participation grant to enhance my skills and resources as a mentor.

I co-coached the UTSA Ethics Bowl with my colleague Jill Hernandez, in the Fall of 2018.

I am the co- advisor of the UTSA Philosophy Club.
I am a mentor for the UTSA McNair Scholars Program. I also serve as a professional mentor for a select number of MA students in the Philosophy and Classics Department.

UTSA Ethics Bowl Team, 2018

1550,July 10 2017,summer program in philosophy of science for underrepresenteed groups

I was invited faculty for the Summer Program in Philosophy of Science for Underrepresented Groups in 2017, hosted by the Center for Philosophy of Science at University of Pittsburgh. Here is a great summary of how great it went.

I am a mentor for the Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) group which brings together a collection of students in philosophy departments who examine and address issues of minority participation in academic philosophy. I am actively involved in the initiatives spearheaded by MAP. I was invited as a speaker at the MAP sponsored events at the University of Pittsburgh, Western University, and University of Waterloo over the past years, and continue to be a resource for undergraduates and support MAP initiatives whenever I am asked.

I mentored students with psychiatric disabilities who were registered with the Counseling and Development Center at York University. In the course of six years, I mentored 10 students with a mental health disability, who were returning back to school after having taken a break due to their disability. My role as a mentor was to reintroduce them the basics of being a student. I taught them how to use the resources and facilities on campus, including libraries and computer labs, how to do scholarly research on the library database, and how to be their own advocates while negotiating academic accommodations in their classes. In short, I helped them make a successful transition from the hospital environment to the academic environment. During my mentorship at the Counseling and Development Center at York University, I also held annual workshops for students with disabilities on how to apply to graduate school.

I was selected as an Alumni Namesake Mentor for the Learning Communities Initiative at the University of Saskatchewan. At the University of Saskatchewan, a Learning Community (LC) is a small group of students who share common courses, interests, and/or residence. Learning Community students gather weekly, guided by two student Peer Mentors, and an Alumni Namesake Mentor, and together, they explore the dynamic potential of their local and global communities. I was a mentor for students in Economics 111.3 & Philosophy 140.3 (Rational Choice in the Global Economy) Learning Community. My role as a Namesake Mentor is to engage students in academically enriching discussions and self-directed learning, to facilitate community engagement within, between and beyond their educational environment, and enhance their academic and professional skills.