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\u201cWhen I mentor students, their academic [talents] are a given. They\u2019re very bright. They\u2019re very smart. But I mentor them to teach them what they don\u2019t learn in school: how to work with other people, how to seek help, and how to mature from a student to a professional.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c[I teach them that] when you fail, it\u2019s OK. Admit what you did wrong, be honest about it, and talk through it. Don\u2019t hide it. Don\u2019t avoid it. We will deal with it together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat takes a lot of courage and a lot of maturity, but I try to show them to grow from the challenge and move past it. Face it head on. That is one thing that I did not learn [growing up] and had to learn later in life. It takes a lot of courage to confront your fears and failures. Each and every time is really difficult, but you will feel really empowered. It\u2019s a very significant step in your life if you can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014Tra-My\u00a0Justine\u00a0Richardson, Research Physical Scientist, NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center<\/p>\n