Representing Professionals Who Serve Individuals
With Communication Disorders Since 1936
With Communication Disorders Since 1936
The Minnesota Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MNSHA) Mentorship Program is designed to provide opportunities to connect current and prospective students and clinical fellows in the areas of speech-language pathology and audiology, with passionate and experienced professionals in the field. The program aims to provide opportunity for collaboration, foster professional connections, and prepare mentees for future career endeavors by matching mentors and mentees based on criteria such as professional interests, clinical populations, work setting, and geographic location.
Expand your professional network, obtain career advice and support, and explore your professional options and interests by participating in meaningful mentoring activities such as email exchanges, phone conversations, and workplace observations at the discretion of each mentor/mentee pair.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Who is eligible to participate?
- High school students considering careers in speech- language pathology or audiology
- Students who have been accepted into, are currently enrolled, or have recently graduated from related programs including, but not limited to, speech and hearing science, communication sciences and disorders, speech-language pathology or audiology. This includes undergraduate, graduate, or clinical fellows/externs.
- Encouraged to be a MNSHA member (not required). The mentorship program is free to current MNSHA members and $25 for non-members. To become a MNSHA member, visit the member page of our website.
How are mentors and mentees matched?
MNSHA seeks to pair each mentee with a mentor who closely aligns with their supplied interests. Mentees and mentors are matched based on a personal profile. MNSHA will do its best to match each applicants area of study (audiology, speech-language pathology, or speech and hearing sciences), and their interests (e.g. clinical population, employment settings, etc.) to a professional mentor’s area(s) of expertise, employment setting, interests, and geographic location.
What is required?
MNSHA recommends that each pair commits to a minimum of two mentoring activities per month over a three month period. Mentors and mentees should communicate during such time using a method agreed upon by the pair (e.g. phone conversation, email exchanges, Skype, Facebook, face-to-face meeting, and/or work place observations). It is acceptable and encouraged that mentor/mentee pairs communicate more frequently. In addition, pairs are welcome to continue communicating beyond the three month period if both the mentee and mentor are in agreement.
The pair should plan to discuss and agree upon mentoring goals and expectations at the start of the mentorship period.
How do I participate?
In order to apply to participate in the MNSHA Mentorship Program, please download and complete the appropriate form below including a short personal profile which will be used to match eligible participants to suitable mentors and email your completed profile to office@mnsha.org.
How are mentors selected?
Mentors are professionals with at least one year of professional experience who have volunteered to commit time to serve as a resource for interested students/clinical fellows.
I have been provided a mentor. Now what?
- Each member of the mentoring pair will be notified and provided the contact information of their mentor/mentee.
- It is the responsibility of the mentor pair to initiate contact and should be done within one week of being assigned.
- It is recommended that the pair use the first mentoring activity in order introduce themselves, get acquainted, and to establish the preferred method of communication.
- Mentees and mentors should agree on some ground rules for the relationship.
The following are important considerations:
- How often will we try to communicate? (Should be at least twice per month)
- Which communication method is preferred? Phone, e-mail, Skype, face-to-face?
- What days/times work best?
- What are the goals of the mentee?
- What are you hoping to achieve from the relationship?
Examples of goals include:
- Gaining knowledge about considerations for selecting a graduate school
- Determining which population or setting to pursue
- Learning more about a specialty area of interest
- Navigating the first few months of a CF or new jobs (e.g. getting organized)
- Expanding your professional network/developing a professional connection with an individual outside of the student’s university program or outside of their current supervisor
- Determining a long-term goal and developing strategies or a plan to achieve it (e.g. opening a private practice, improving specific clinical skills, gaining knowledge related to a particular area)
Additional resources:
