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January is National Mentoring Month, and the UGA Mentor Program is thrilled to host events all month long to celebrate and highlight mentorship in all its forms.

Key Mentoring Month Dates:

January 11: I am a UGA Mentor Day (Virtual) – If you are a UGA Mentor, celebrate on social media using #UGAMentor. If you’re not yet a UGA Mentor, learn more about the benefits of the program at mentor.uga.edu.

January 16: Dr. MLK Day of Service (Virtual) – Explore virtual volunteering opportunities and plan something with your mentee. Share your story using #UGAMentor

January 17: International Mentoring Day (Virtual) – Join in the fun with these UGA Mentor Program graphics and celebrate mentorship around the world using #UGAMentor on social media.

January 18: UGA Mentor Program Welcome (Tabling Event on Campus, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tate Concourse) – UGA Mentor Program Ambassadors will be out on campus recruiting new mentees. Let us know if you’d like to volunteer your time to come help us.

January 20: International Coffee Hour (Event on Campus) – Come join us from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Memorial Hall Ballroom to learn how mentorship differs from culture to culture and how mentors can support international students on their UGA journey. If you were an international student or worked/studied abroad and would like to help us with this event, please let us know!

January 26: I am a UGA Mentee Day (Virtual) – Even if you’re not yet an official UGA Mentor, celebrate students who have recognized the benefits of becoming a UGA Mentee. Don’t forget to use #UGAMentor on social media.

January 27: Black Male Mentoring Dinner (Event in Athens) – This is an invitation-only event, hosted in partnership with the UGA Office of Institutional Diversity. For more information, email ugamentor@uga.edu

January 31: Thank Your UGA Mentor Day (Virtual) – Help us thank all the UGA alumni, faculty and staff who have discovered the joys of giving back as UGA Mentors. Be sure to use #UGAMentor on social media.

Take the next step!

Joining the UGA Mentor Program is a convenient and rewarding way to provide guidance to a new generation of Bulldogs. It may surprise you how much YOU get from giving back this way! Visit mentor.uga.edu to read inspiring testimonials from program participants, scroll through FAQs and discover how easy it is to sign up.

In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, the UGA Mentor Program is focusing on what it means to be neurodivergent and is emphasizing how asking for accommodations is not seeking an unfair advantage—it is simply gaining equal footing.

Meet Scott Frasard (BBA ’03, MED ’06, PHD ’11)

Scott’s higher education journey was atypical, even before he realized he was neurodivergent. He didn’t enroll in college until 12 years after graduating from high school–first working as an EMT and then paramedic. Even then, he went to school part time while continuing to work full time, eventually becoming a member of the first graduating class from UGA’s Gwinnett Campus. His college experience piqued an interest in adult education, so he continued to commute to the Gwinnett campus in pursuit of a Master of Education. He then moved to Athens to take courses on UGA’s main campus, eventually earning a Ph.D. in adult education.

It wasn’t until two years ago that he learned of his autism. The formal identification sent him on a journey of discovery.

“It was definitely a learning curve for me,” said Scott. “I had to become comfortable with my autism first, before sharing with others.” Scott turned to the internet. Reframing Autism, a website for an Australian nonprofit organization, has proven helpful. So has the Autism Self Advocacy Network website.

Even though he comes from a medical background, Scott found he was more comfortable with the identity-first descriptors for his autism versus the traditional medical point of view, preferring a statement like “We are autistic” to “We have autism.”

Scott says, “Autism is my identity. You can’t separate me from my autism. Saying ‘We have autism’ implies illness and disability, and that there is something wrong with us. We are not less; we are simply wired differently.”

Leveling the playing field

Learning he was autistic after nearly 30 years of teaching prompted Scott to reevaluate his teaching practices and make changes to be inclusive of neurodivergent learners. This includes creating a safe space in his classroom—an environment that is welcoming to all. He encourages students to talk about what they need up front before it becomes a problem. He shares things about himself to make students more comfortable to talk about themselves.

“I prepare others to expect ‘stimming’ or self-soothing behaviors they might see me do to help regulate my emotions,” explains Scott. He alerts people to his bluntness and explains that they should not perceive it as rudeness; he is simply getting straight to the point. Scott notes that because he interprets language extremely literally, he has learned to ask lots of clarifying questions. These advanced explanations help stem frustration on both sides of his interactions with others. Scott has learned to have these conversations not only with his students, but with his co-workers as well.

“In the hiring process for my last job, I was up front with HR and the hiring managers,” said Scott. “It helped them understand why I asked for what I needed and why these were reasonable accommodations.”

Scott is extremely sensitive to external stimuli. Sounds and movements easily distract him. They grab attention away from what he wants to focus on and create anxiety. For instance, fluorescent lights that flicker and buzz—something neurotypical people ignore or don’t even notice—are quite disruptive. So, Scott works remotely from his home. Like many autistic people, Scott is an introvert. His co-workers understand his need to block out time in his calendar to prepare for and/or decompress from meetings.

Bringing his experience to the Mentor Program

As a mentor in the UGA Mentor Program, Scott uses his experience to help students navigate their UGA journeys. He wants to empower students to ask for what they need from the start.

“Professors understand that to truly measure what someone has learned, they have to remove the barriers that disrupt the measurement,” Scott said. “If students need more time to process test questions and need a quiet environment in which to concentrate, these are not bonuses. They are not asking for extra; they’re seeking equal opportunity to perform at their best.”

Your uniqueness is valuable.

Your experiences may help a student on their UGA journey. Discover how fulfilling being a mentor can be.

Learn more.

Find out what it means to be neurodivergent and how you can be an ally to the autistic community. UGA Mentor Program Ambassador Cassie Turner, Class of 2022, sat down for a discussion with Scott in an episode of RealTalk, the UGA Mentor Program’s podcast.

Know a student struggling at UGA?

Scott is just one amazing professional available to serve as a mentor. In fact, the Mentor Program platform makes it easy for students to search through thousands of experienced faculty, staff and alumni mentors to find someone who matches their interests and background and can relate to their strengths and challenges.