Mentorship Program Brings Public Health Minds Together

But not for undergraduate public health students of color in SPHHP, where the Envision Mentoring Program makes finding a mentor easier.

Created by Ebehitale Imobhio, assistant director of equity, diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, and Rose Thomas, MPH/MSW ’23, Envision is a now four-year-old effort to bring together professionals in the community who offer experience, insight and support to students hungry for guidance.

The idea for Envision came through conversations Imobhio and Thomas had at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. They wondered how they could boost the sense of community among students while also helping them see that they’re “not alone,” Imobhio says.

A mentorship program seemed like a natural fit, especially given the size of the undergraduate public health program—more than 300 students and growing every day. After a successful, if entirely virtual, pilot in spring 2021, Envision got a name and funding. The yearly slate of Envision activities has expanded organically since then. After mentors and students are paired, they generally meet once a month, some in person and others still virtually. Students and mentors also get a comprehensive resource guide to help them make the most of the program.

Monthly events include graduate student panels, speed mentoring, visits to local health organizations, mock interviews and more. End-of-the-year events might offer chances for budding gingerbread house artists to hone their skills, as well as take part in other activities

Rouge Rodriguez, currently a Master of Public Health student, values their Envision experience. “[It] has been an amazing program for me to receive guidance, especially during the last two years of my undergraduate career,” Rodriguez says. “The program connects undergraduate students of color with alumni or graduate students of color, which provided me with a lot of support and a safe space for me to express my challenges and barriers as a student of color with someone who could relate to me and advise me.”

Andy Canizares, MPH/MSW ’23, currently a project coordinator at the BRAVE (Buffalo Rising Against Violence) program at ECMC, was one of Rodriguez’s mentors.

“The most rewarding part of being a mentor is that feeling of paying it forward to students who, like me when I was their age, did not have the connections, social capital or professional experience that would help them navigate a successful career in public health,” Canizares says.

Envision has 19 pairs of students and mentors this academic year, which is about capacity given the number of available mentors. Imobhio and Thomas say they would love to expand the program because applications from students nearly always exceed mentor availability. The number of available mentors has grown each year of the program, however, and with enthusiastic reactions. Many students say Envision changed their life in some way.

“I gained necessary skills useful for graduate school and beyond, and the program also allowed me to be in direct contact with a professional in health-related fields I am interested in,” Rodriguez adds.

“We’re always excited when we get a positive email from students,” Thomas says.

Adds Imobhio: “There are mentors who say they wish this program had existed when they were students. If this program can change one student’s life or make their story better, we’ve had a successful year.”