Family Social Science Graduate student combines study and practice in mentorship

Kay He, a doctoral candidate in Family Social Science, is demonstrating the power of collaboration as she conducts her dissertation research.  

He (pictured second from right) engaged with three undergrad research assistants (left to right): Jenna Johnson, Yared Solomon, and Drew Starr, to assist her in preparing and conducting data collection with one of her  partner organizations, MENTOR North in Duluth.  

He's dissertation examines how mentors support youth emotional development through their relationships.   

"Specifically, I'm studying how mentors help youth ages 10-18 develop emotion regulation skills - the ability to understand and manage their emotions effectively," says He. "This research aims to identify the specific emotional management strategies mentors use and understand how these mentoring interactions contribute to positive youth development outcomes."

The trio of undergraduate RAs joined He last spring and helped test the research protocol, prepared recruitment materials and surveys, and received training to conduct macro-observational coding of mentor-youth interactions.  

Partner organization MENTOR Minnesota helped He and her team connect with mentoring organizations, including MENTOR North in Duluth, to recruit mentor-youth pairs that were critical to data collection. In all, 12 organizations across Minnesota agreed to partner with He, including:

• Kids N Kinship, Apple Valley, Burnsville, Farmington, Lakeville, and Rosemount
• Bolder Options, Minneapolis
• Revival Mentoring, Minneapolis
• Change, Inc., Minneapolis
• JK Movement, St. Paul
• QUEERSPACE, Minneapolis
• Rise-up Red Wing, Red Wing
• MENTOR North, Duluth
• Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities, Minneapolis

Initially, participants complete online surveys about their mentoring relationship and  emotional experiences via Zoom. Then He and her team conduct in-person visits that included a brief speech preparation activity where mentor-youth pairs worked together to  write and present a short address, followed by individual interviews with each  participant.  

During the initial online data collection, the RAs conducted consent meetings with  mentors, youth, and their parents to explain study details and help participants complete the online survey. During in-person data collection sessions, they greeted participants, outlined instructions, and monitored timers during activities as well acted as audience members to create a mild stress environment during the youth speech. In addition, they conducted individual interviews after the speech.  

"They've been integral to every aspect of this research," says He. They even traveled to  Duluth, where MENTOR North is located, to assist He with in-person data collection.   

This fall, data collection efforts concluded and He and her team now moves into data analysis to identify effective strategies mentors use to support youth  emotional development. Each partner organization will receive a report with insights into how mentors can better support youth's emotional development. 

"The research findings will help us improve and refine these training programs," says He. "Additionally, we're offering free Emotion Coaching Training Workshops to all  participating mentors."   

Ultimately, this research will contribute to evidence-based practices that strengthen mentoring relationships and enhance their impact on youth development. The goal is to provide practical, research-backed strategies that mentoring organizations can implement to better support both their mentors and the youth they serve. 

"Collecting my own observational data to understand how caring adults and youth  navigate emotions together has always been my dream as a researcher," she adds.  She credits her undergraduate collaborators and the mentoring organizations across  Minnesota for helping to bring her dream to fruition.