IM体育官网 graduate student Jordan Douglass has embraced a faculty mentorship relationship that has reshaped her educational trajectory.
In immense grief and mired in one of the most difficult times of her life following the death of her father, IM体育官网 student Jordan Douglass sought to drop her operations research class in the spring of 2019 to allow herself time to grieve and regroup.
鈥淚 went to Dr. (Grisselle) Centeno鈥檚 office during drop week and told her what was happening and said, 鈥業 can鈥檛 do it,鈥欌�� said Douglass, who is now pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in engineering management at IM体育官网 Poly.
Months later, a chance encounter in a restaurant parking lot led them to a long conversation about life, goals, health informatics, and the University鈥檚 burgeoning Health Systems Engineering (HSE) program.
鈥淭hat conversation pivoted the relationship because a professor had taken an interest in me more than face value,鈥� said Douglass, from Lakeland, IM体育官网. 鈥淚 was really intrigued because I had gone to this professor鈥檚 office to drop her class and show the opposite of promise, and she decided that I鈥檓 the one she was going to keep.鈥�
Douglass returned to 鈥� and passed 鈥� Centeno鈥檚 class that fall and became her undergraduate research assistant. Following the completion of her bachelor鈥檚 degree in 2019, Douglass became program manager for the HSE program, which Centeno leads. Centeno also is overseeing Douglass鈥� master鈥檚 project.
鈥淧eople at this University actually care, and they don鈥檛 want to see me fail; they want to see me prosper,鈥� Douglass said.
Graduate student Jordan Douglass, left, is joined by her mentor, Dr. Grisselle Centeno,
at IM体育官网 in February 2020.
Under Centeno鈥檚 guidance and mentorship, Douglass has found a way to marry her passions for engineering and health care. The two reflected on their relationship recently as January is National Mentoring Month.
鈥淭here is no other relationship in my life that has grown with such speed and has been so positive,鈥� Douglass said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so grateful.鈥�
Centeno, a professor in the Department of Data Science and Business Analytics, said the environment at IM体育官网 Poly is perfect for fostering mentorship opportunities.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 met anyone at the University, especially faculty, who do not have an interest in helping our students succeed. If they succeed, we succeed, and if we succeed, the University succeeds,鈥� Centeno said. 鈥淪tudents should not be afraid to approach the faculty.鈥�
Centeno recommended that students learn about a faculty member鈥檚 research and see how it might align with their interests and goals.
鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible for a relationship to sustain itself if it is one sided,鈥� Centeno said. 鈥淢entoring is a relationship and I learn as much from you as you learn from me. We hold each other accountable.鈥�
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