Mentorship to Bridge Barriers
By Zoe Wright
Janice Jones is a woman who pushed through invisible barriers in order to become the person she wanted to be but also the person she wished she had throughout her academic career.
Janice is from a small community in Autaugaville, AL, where her parents knew that they did not want to spend their lives nor their children’s lives in a place where their options would be working at the sawmill or cotton picking. So, her Father joined the military in order to support Janice, her 6 sisters, and her brother.
Growing up, her Mother instilled in all of her children that education was extremely important. For her daughters specifically, she repeated that “a woman needs an education”, not only to be financially independent but for personal success. These encouraging words proved true when all of her children attended college. However, Janice was the youngest of 8 and even though all of her older siblings went to college the ins and outs, dos and don'ts, and practical knowledge of attending college didn’t get passed down to Janice. This resulted in Janice taking a gap year to plan out her academic career and finances.
Janice decided that she wanted to attend the University of Michigan but she knew that her family didn’t have the means to afford tuition so she began researching. Reaching out to representatives on campus in hopes to find scholarship opportunities for an African American woman with good grades Janice continued her search. After many phone calls, she finally talked to one recruiter who explained the steps of applying to UofM and eventually found a full tuition scholarship that she would eventually be awarded.
Once Janice started classes on campus, she found that none of her professors looked like her. They were fair but lacked the connection she desired. Janice knew that she wanted to be a scientist but at the same time, she didn’t know what it meant to be a scientist. Her siblings went into business, law, and the military meaning she had no familial role model and there was an absence of scientists who were Black Women at UofM at this time. As she had no one to reach out to, it was up to her to piece together a career path that would propel her toward her dreams.
Janice had people supporting her academic career, they just didn’t look like her. She was always grateful for the help she did have but was unsure of their true intentions and perceptions of her, there was still a disconnect. Janice was missing a mentor who could not only relate to but understand her experiences as a Black woman pursuing a degree in STEM. During her 4 years at U of M, she never experienced a Black woman in a faculty position.
Academically, Janice struggled to find community but, socially, she had more luck. Janice had 3 Black suitemates who became her first community on campus. They shared their experiences, goals, and dreams. They joined the Black Student Union together and became more involved in that community. Despite finding a certain sense of belonging in these environments, there was still a lot of adversity she experienced while earning her Bachelor’s degree. Lacking a mentor, Janice often felt lost as she navigated college, experiencing microaggressions, and learning to exist at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). Her Mother’s sentiment of women pursuing higher education rested in the back of her mind and mobilized her to never stop achieving. Janice went on to earn a Master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University.
Gratefully, her Mother was able to make the trip from Florida to Detroit to see her graduate with a Ph.D. Janice told her mother “Mama I did it. I remember you telling me a woman needs an education and I have one.” Janice fondly recalls her Mother coming home from work, teaching her the ABCs, and taking her to kindergarten, always saying “A woman needs an education”. Janice thanked her Mother for always being her cheerleader, even when her Mother didn’t have the knowledge to help, she encouraged Janice to stand up for herself and navigated Janice toward her next step.
Throughout her academic career, Janice learned that you may have to be your own role model. You may have to kick a door open that is shut to you. You may have to create a community when you don’t find one you fit into. You have to make your own way, communicate with people effectively, and learn to navigate the systems and barriers in place.
Now, as the Program Director of Success Connects at the University of Michigan, Dr.Janice Jones is the mentor she wished she’d had during her time there. She is now able to share her experiences, passions, and knowledge with her students Janice encourages her students to be their best academically and personally.
