Partners in mentoring: Ashley Campbell, PhD, ’09, ’10W (MS) and Karenrose Kamala ’24

Curiosity and a pay-it-forward approach to life prompted Ashley Campbell to sign up as a mentor with The Meliora Collective’s most recent mentorship program. “As an undergraduate, I wanted to find my place and the people who could support me and relate to me,” she says. “I imagined there were students out there who want those things, so I signed up for the mentorship program to be there for them. I know what it’s like to walk in their shoes.”

Ashley Campbell, PhD, ’09, ’10W (MS)
photo: Jenny Berliner Photography

The mentorship program cycle that took place in the spring of 2021 matched Campbell with Karenrose Kamala ’24, a first-year student from Tanzania who is interested in economics and data science. Kamala signed up to learn about networking and to gain resources and professional growth opportunities. “I was excited to work with someone who had gone to the University and could help me work out my goals and ways to achieve them,” she says.

As Kamala’s mentor, Campbell draws on her professional experiences, including her current position as the director of integration within the Office of Equity and Inclusion at the University of Rochester. She also serves as a cochair of the University’s Black Alumni Network. Because of Campbell’s insights and also her perspectives as professor, Kamala is now thinking of pursuing a graduate degree program and working in academia someday.

Although the formal program is over, Campbell and Kamala plan to continue on their own. Over the course of the program, they regularly talked on the phone and on Zoom, each one learning from one other along the way.

Here, Campbell and Kamala share their thoughts on mentorship and discuss their participation in the program.

Why is mentorship important to you?

Campbell: In the African-centric way of thinking about mentorship, the word “jegna” comes to mind. It’s similar to the word “mentor,” but it has a stronger meaning. It embraces the collective importance of mentorship, guidance, and support, and it usually comes from someone who sits in an elder role. In the African paradigm, these are the people who enrich your life, and they can be your family members—along with extensions to your family—including neighbors and others. Because I’ve had people like this support me in many ways, it is important to me to provide support and positivity to others.

Karenrose Kamala ’24

Kamala Mentorship to me means to want a better and smoother experience for someone compared to the experience you had yourself. It is one of the most important, selfless, and giving things any one person can do for someone else. Helping people become better versions of themselves makes mentorship so worthwhile.

What was your favorite part of the program?

Campbell: I have really enjoyed both the personal and professional connections. I also valued the opportunity to help Karenrose reflect on where she wants to be in the future and how to navigate the professional space as a young Black professional woman. I was surprised and impressed with Karenrose right away. Surprised because she took the initiative to engage in this mentorship program as a first-year student. It’s never too early to think about mentorship, as she so clearly illustrates. Karenrose has brought such excitement to our conversations and is always eager to learn about professional opportunities at the University and beyond.

Kamala: I have really enjoyed getting to learn about new organizations and possibilities on campus, as well as external programs I didn’t know about. For example, through Ashley, I learned more about the National Society of Black Engineers, which I’m planning to join. She also told me about Afrotech, a conference tailored towards black technologists. Learning about both these groups has meant a lot to me because I want to meet more black technologists who know what’s it’s like to try to find your space in a mostly predominantly white field, and many of them know about fighting impostor syndrome. I love that my mentor encourages me and helps me think more about what I’m passionate about.

What did you learn from the program?

Kamala: Before starting, I was definitely a bit nervous about the idea of pursuing a career in higher education, or even considering going into academia as a professor in an economics or data science-related field, which is what I think I want to do. Ashley has really inspired me to define and achieve my goals. In the future, I hope that I can help fellow young black women, especially black queer women like me, see that anything and everything is possible for them. Ashley is great at identifying resources and opportunities in the Rochester area, as well as ways I can learn more about opportunities in higher education and academia.

Campbell: The program has served as a great reminder for me to take step back and to apply what I’ve said to Karenrose to my own life and career. For instance, it isn’t important—nor is it even possible—to have everything mapped out for your life. We have to be flexible and ready for opportunities when they present themselves. Sometimes, it can be easy to get caught up in what you think you should do or what you think others want for you. All of our conversations have reminded me to ask myself if I am continuing to do what I want, am I adding value and gaining insights, and am I engaging in spaces authentically. Being in a mentorship relationship is definitely a reciprocated partnership—each of us learns and benefits from the experience.

Why should others sign up for the next Meliora Collective mentorship cycle as a mentor or mentee?

Campbell: Because we have to work with others to thrive. That’s what I love about this program. The name—The Meliora Collective—is apt, too. A “collective” reflects and speaks to multiple audiences—it’s inclusive. Getting involved is a great way to learn about oneself and it provides a chance to authentically pour yourself into another person in service. It’s a powerful, enriching exchange. What a gift to work with Karenrose—someone who embodies the spirit of Meliora—of wanting to always strive for ever better.

Kamala: By signing up, you will get to learn about possibilities and opportunities that you might not ever have thought possible, and your mentor will also be an extra pillar of support that you need. Every time I talk to my mentor, my heart is so full, and I’m motivated to dream with my eyes wide open. The connection is invaluable.