Mentoring graduate students outside of the classroom is an important part of my teaching responsibility. I greatly appreciate the value of mentoring, and the benefits to all parties involved, as I am the beneficiary of the efforts of my own wonderful mentors who have encouraged and supported me over the years. I believe that mentoring is crucial to an effective professorship, as mentoring fosters meaningful relationships with students, colleagues, and community members, which leads to new discoveries and innovation through this network of associations. My success with students emanates from the investment I have made in building relationships with them.