January Is Mentoring Month!

Posted: January 12, 2026

January is National Mentoring Month — an occasion near and dear to the heart of the Graduate School at the University of Florida. After all, mentorship — which aims to boost a mentee’s growth and success by leveraging the mentor’s knowledge and experience — is what distinctively shapes and drives graduate education.

Whether we’re mentoring or being mentored, this month serves as a timely reminder to put into practice these simple mentorship tips to keep the experience productive, constructive, and forward-looking for all involved:

• Listen first: Understand before responding.
• Ask intentional questions: Clarity builds growth.
• Share honestly: Feedback ought to support, not discourage.
• Respect boundaries: Time, energy, and expectations matter.
• Follow up: Mentorship continues beyond one single conversation.

The month also is a fitting time to explore ways and means by which the UF Graduate School fosters, advances, and celebrates mentorship amid our student body and faculty ranks:

• Faculty Doctoral Mentoring Award
• Focus on Mentoring
• GatorLead
• Graduate Student Mentoring Awards
• Internship Initiative
• Mentor Training
• Preparing Future Faculty

To learn more about other mentoring initiatives and resources across the University of Florida, click here:

• Mentoring Matters · University of Florida
• UF Career Connections Center: Mentorship
• Ask UF IFAS: Mentoring

To learn more about National Mentoring Month, click here.