The Women in STEM (WiSTEM) Mentoring Program of the Women’s Center is an initiative designed to support underclasswomen pursuing STEM degrees through the mentorship of their upperclasswomen peers. The program spans the full academic year and is structured around monthly meetings designed to provide both the mentor and mentee with resources to flourish in the STEM fields.
Through this program, mentees are matched with a mentor who can provide personal support, academic advice, and knowledge about career development. WiSTEM hopes to prepare our mentees for a successful outcome in STEM at UConn by addressing possible obstacles, including gateway (“weed-out”) courses, GPA recovery, social balance, access to research labs, and communication with professors. Ultimately we want to enhance the role of women in STEM at UConn through discussion and education about women’s issues, gender equity and stereotypes, and female representation.