What am I expecting from a Mentor?

I understand that my expectations are high, but I would like to envision the qualities of a perfect mentor so that I understand how to explain myself when he/she asks how to best support me and my project.

Before arriving at Mexico

My Mentor should  be interested in my research.  He shouldn't feel that working with me is busy work, but he should be excited about my results.  I hope he is interested enough to check my blog periodically to evaluate my progress.  I hope he is willing to listen to my ideas and aspirations for my research project and offer some research ideas or articles to aid me in my preparations.  When we plan out my course syllabus, I would expect him to assign me reading that would be beneficial for my project.  I also feel it would be important that he reviews my proposal and methods and adds advice to how my project could be improved.

During my field study

Our conversation will definitely be limited in the field, but that does not mean I do not expect comments and suggestions via email.  I hope that whenever I run into roadblock we have a good enough relationship that I can ask for advice.  It would be useful to ask for guidance on interviewing tactics, or evaluation methods. 

Afterwards

I understand that the field study program requires that we have an oral report or a debriefing session.  It would be helpful if my mentor and I talked about ways my research and how it could be continued or transformed into something useful to the Latino community.  My greatest fear is that my research all ends up to nothing with no application. I want my efforts to aid Latino student in some way or another. I hope my mentor understands that and contributes to my efforts in the application of my research.