Inside TJHSST's Mentorship Program

At TJHSST, research is more than a buzzword—it’s the backbone of the school's academic philosophy. Most students fulfill their senior research requirement through one of TJ’s advanced in-school labs. But there’s another, lesser-known path that offers something just as powerful—the Mentorship Program.

In this post, we break down exactly how TJ’s Mentorship Program works, who it’s for, what kind of research students do, how it’s structured, and how to get the most out of it.

What Is the Mentorship Program at TJHSST?

The Mentorship Program is a structured, year-long research experience that allows eligible seniors to work with professionals in real-world environments—including government labs, universities, tech firms, and hospitals—instead of completing their research in one of TJ’s in-house science or engineering labs.

It’s designed for highly motivated students who want to:

• Dive deeper into a specialized field of interest

• Conduct research beyond the school’s physical resources

• Gain direct mentorship from working scientists, engineers, professors, or clinicians

This is not a casual internship or job shadowing arrangement—it’s a rigorous research commitment that counts toward graduation.

Who Is It For?

This program is ideal for:

• Students interested in a field not directly represented by TJ’s 14 research labs (e.g., bioethics, aerospace engineering, public health policy)

• Students looking to build serious professional connections and produce real-world research outputs (papers, presentations, or product prototypes)

It’s also a strong fit for students planning to pursue STEM research at a university level, especially those targeting competitive programs, competitions (like Regeneron or Siemens), or publication.

How the Mentorship Program Works: Structure and Timeline

The program follows a strict, school-supported framework to ensure academic rigor and mentorship accountability.

Time Commitment

• Students commit to 180 hours of research over the academic year.

• They’re released from regular classes on:

  • Monday afternoons

  • All day Wednesday

  • All day Friday

This built-in time allows for transportation, meetings, and research work off-site.

Weekly Expectations

• Students must meet with their mentor at least once per week.

• These meetings can be virtual or in-person but must involve direct feedback and collaboration.

• Students submit monthly progress logs and updates to a TJ faculty coordinator.

Required Deliverables

Throughout the year, students are expected to submit:

Month	Deliverable
October	Research proposal with hypothesis and methods
January	Project summary draft for mentorship showcase booklet
February	Research paper draft and presentation outline
March	Final presentation materials and optional poster
May	Final research paper and visual abstract or poster

Presentations may take the form of formal slide decks, posters, or research demonstrations at TJ’s annual Mentorship Showcase.

Types of Mentorship Projects

The range of fields students can explore is vast. Mentorships have included:

• Biomedical research with NIH or hospital-based labs

• Computer vision & machine learning projects with local AI startups

• Environmental data modeling with government or nonprofit agencies

• Neuroscience experiments in university wet labs

• Applied physics or optics in national lab settings

• Policy-driven work (e.g., tracking epidemiological trends during COVID-19)

Some students even combine fields—for example, developing a medical imaging model and applying it to cancer detection, or building an ocean sensor array while studying coastal environmental law.

How Do You Get a Mentor?

There are three typical paths:

1. TJ-Sourced PlacementsThe program director maintains a vetted list of prior mentors, including researchers, professors, and scientists who have previously hosted students. These placements are matched based on student interest.

2. Student-Initiated MentorshipsStudents can independently contact professionals or labs and request to be mentored. However, they must submit the mentor’s credentials and a proposed research plan for approval.

3. Hybrid ModelSome students begin with a TJ-suggested contact but shape their project based on their own ideas and interests.

The mentor must be able to:

• Provide regular feedback

• Guide the research process

• Sign off on progress checkpoints

Key Advantages of the Mentorship Program

1. Real-World Relevance

Unlike school lab simulations, mentorship projects are grounded in current scientific questions, policy debates, or engineering problems.

2. Professional Skill Development

Students gain:

• Technical research experience

• Project management discipline

• Academic writing practice

• Communication and collaboration skills in a professional setting

3. Network Building

Strong mentor relationships have led to:

• Letters of recommendation from PhDs and MDs

• Early access to university research labs

• Invitations to contribute to publications or conference abstracts

4. College Application Differentiation

Mentorship students often write about their experience in college essays, compete in research competitions, or include published work in their applications.

Common Myths About the Mentorship Program

“It’s only for top students.”Not true. While students must be responsible and self-directed, the program isn’t GPA-gated. It’s more about independence and passion.

“It’s easier than doing a TJ lab.”Absolutely not. Mentorship is often more demanding because it requires managing communication with external professionals, working off-site, and adhering to stricter independent timelines.

“You need connections to find a mentor.”You don’t. Many mentorships are established through formal outreach with the program director’s support. Initiative matters more than access.

Final Thoughts

TJHSST’s Mentorship Program is one of the most unique and powerful opportunities available to seniors. It allows students to bridge the gap between high school and real-world science by stepping into environments that demand not just intelligence—but initiative, adaptability, and discipline.

For students who want more than a controlled lab environment, who are ready to be treated like junior researchers, and who want to shape their education around a specific passion, mentorship is the highest-impact opportunity available at TJ.

If you’re aiming to compete, publish, or just deeply explore a field before college—this is the path.

FAQ: TJHSST Mentorship Program

What’s the difference between Mentorship and the regular senior research labs at TJ?

TJ’s in-house research labs are structured environments where students work on projects within the school, guided by TJ faculty. The Mentorship Program, on the other hand, allows students to work off-campus with professional researchers, typically in external labs, hospitals, universities, tech firms, or government agencies. It’s more flexible but also more independent.

Who is eligible to do Mentorship?

All rising seniors at TJHSST are eligible to apply for the Mentorship Program. There are no formal GPA cutoffs, but you must demonstrate independent work habits, responsibility, and a clear academic interest that aligns with your proposed mentorship field.