Mentors
Francesco Trupia, PhD (Nicolaus Copernicus University) - mentor (social & humanities)
“At this stage of my academic career, I found the mentoring program very helpful.
Although I am the mentor, I learnt a lot about new trends and research perspectives by talking to my mentee, Julia.
As a mentor, I can share my thoughts and pieces of advice with my mentee, and, at the same time, I can understand to what extent my advice is still relevant, and may fit the interests, expectations, and ideas of new generations of students and young professionals.
Polonium Mentoring has turned out to be a win-win process for me!”
Adrián Herrera, PhD (University of Cologne) - mentor (social & humanities)
"I really enjoy the experience of being a mentor for Polonium Foundation. I strongly believe in the importance of giving back to others what you once received.
I try to focus my mentoring thinking of what kind of advice I would had needed to hear when I was in an earlier stage of my career (for example, strategies to build up self-confidence and self care).
I think that anybody should engage in mentoring because it is one of the best ways to impulse the formation of scholars, whose positive contributions and role in our societies should never be underestimated.
I would even say that receving mentoring is almost as important as formal academic training."
Magdalena Mroczek, MD (University of Basel) - mentor/mentee (life sciences)
“I participated in Polonium Mentoring 2023/2024 both as a mentor and as a mentee.
My mentor was very supportive and gave me an insight of what can be expected as the next step of my scientific career.
As a mentor I guided my mentee, Adela, and shared my perspective on working abroad as a medical doctor. I got a lot of support during my own scientific career and I am happy to have a possibility to give it back.”
Mentees
Adela Sobolewska, mentee (life sciences)
“In the medical field it’s quite common to get lost in such a big variety of specialisations, clinical practices, laboratory work.
I am beyond grateful for having someone older and wiser, who also has the same career path and could help me choose what is best for me.
My mentor provided guidance, support, and encouragement to help me navigate the complexities of scientific research and my future medical career. I gained valuable skills to develop my research abilities.”
“I participated in the first edition of Polonium Mentoring in 2022/2023. At first I didn't really know what to expect but, given my approaching graduation, I was hoping to get more insight into various career paths I could consider.
Oliwia Mruk, mentee (life science)
I got matched with Marek who, despite being a part of a different field than the one I was in, was able to provide me with a lot of guidance on what to look out for when applying for various opportunities. This was exactly what I needed at the time; the expertise of someone with experience that could help me make an informative decision and also help me in developing the confidence to do so! In the end, thanks to this support I made the decision to apply for (and accept!) a PhD offer.
Thanks to this experience I also got to interact more with the Polonium Foundation and find out what they're all about; connecting and engaging Polish research diaspora. I loved what I saw, both initiatives and the fantastic volunteers, so I applied to join the team which I'm happy to be a part of now!”
Julia Mielcarz, mentee (life science)
“Participating in the Polonium Mentoring Programme has been an invaluable journey for me. I applied for the programme after finishing my first year of Bachelor’s programme in Biomedicine. Having already gained some experience in neuroscience research, I wanted my mentor to be from the same field. However, my main goal was to have someone help me guide my educational path and improve my communication skills.
When my mentor and I met, I was at a crucial point in my studies, trying to find a research group to host me for writing my thesis. My mentor helped me with preparations, pinpointed things that are important while searching for an appropriate research group, and, above all, encouraged me not to be scared to aim high. I’ve always had difficulties advertising myself as the best candidate; therefore, we practiced together for my interviews with the group leaders.
My experience with the programme can definitely be summarised as a success because I managed to be accepted at Oxford University for both my thesis and a summer internship. However, what I valued the most in the programme was that I gained someone with a lot of experience whom I could turn to when needing advice.”
Other testimonials from the second iteration of the programme
“I have an amazing mentor, Anne, who not only greatly supports me in my development but also brings immense value to my journey of personal and professional growth. Her wisdom, experience, and support are invaluable. I've had the pleasure of meeting a fantastic mentee who turned out to be a really cool person.” - Mentor/Mentee 2023/2024
“To me, Polonium Mentoring is amazing and it provides a lot of opportunities to advance one's career. Also, I find it as a great method to set or modify the direction one's taking during their scientific careeer. Meetings with my Mentor, Dr Timothy Douglas, benefited greatly my understanding of the research process, as well as cultural and educational aspects of it. During our discussions, I learnt about the differences between universities and industry, specific opportunities they create and how to engage with collaborators from each field. I am thankful for a possibility to talk with an experienced researcher, who is willing to share his knowledge and insights, that improves my perspective.” - Jędrzej Kubica, mentee 2023/202
“It's great to be able to help my mentee and gain mentoring experience. I really enjoyed the session we had that prepared us for the process.” - Mentor 2023/2024
“The networking opportunities are the highlight of the program from my perspective. My mentor connected me with people with valuable experiences.” - Mentee, 2023/2024