It's that time of year again! Reaching out to mentors over the years has taught me multiple things, 1) not everyone you reach out to will respond, 2) sometimes there is not a perfect mentor for your project, and 3) when you reach out to your future mentor you need to be clear about what being a mentor will entail and what exactly will the person be a mentor for? Including this information when you reach out to a possible mentor will help your chances of them responding with a yes because they know what they are getting themselves into! So make sure when reaching out to your mentor you are clear about what you want from them and what they will be mentoring you on or about! People to think about for a mentor - family friend, a teacher, parents' colleagues, a mentor can even be a person you don't know. You can reach out to someone who wrote a study you are using for a project, you can reach out to a professor who teaches a course related to your project. The people you are able to reach out to using modern technology are endless!