J&S Mentoring Network; STEM Research Mentoring

I am a mom, PhD-trained scientist, STEM educator, and research mentor. I discovered the transformative power of hands-on scientific research during graduate school, and today, I help middle and high school students access that experience much earlier. I am a former lecturer and research mentor at University of Massachusetts Amherst where I first mentored high school and middle school students in college-level research. This year marks 9 years of mentoring our young science researchers. Parents hire me because their teens receive more than general STEM enrichment. Each student follows a structured, personalized pathway toward completing an original, college-level research project and creating meaningful deliverables; 1) a professional research poster, 2) competition-ready presentation, or (optional) 3) a publication-ready scientific manuscript. These experiences strengthen college and scholarship applications, build career-ready skills, and give students the confidence that comes from doing real science. Every project begins with your teen’s interests and curiosity. No previous research experience is required. Through my STEM Research Pathway Framework™, I mentor students one-on-one or in small groups as they learn how to: 1. Connect an interest or idea to a meaningful real-world problem 2. Develop a focused scientific research question 3. Design an appropriate hands-on or data-based study 4. Collect, analyze, and interpret data 5. Draw evidence-based conclusions 6. Communicate their findings through a research poster, presentation, or scientific manuscript I walk beside students throughout the entire process; from their first idea to a completed project they can confidently explain and showcase.