What happens when you study the power of mentorship and experience it at the same time? For Kiara Medina ’27, it changed everything.
“I've always been interested in speech language pathology because I was a speech kid myself, so I decided to go to school for it,” explains Kiara, who is pursuing her MS in Communication Sciences Disorders (CSD).
Something she noticed, however, was the absence of diverse mentors. “I realized how little representation there is in higher education, especially for Spanish speaking and minority individuals, especially in my field of CSD,” she says.
However, she quickly found mentorship in associate professor Linda Caroza, a CSD expert who had written on the importance of mentorship. “When I started at Pace during my first semester, I met Professor Carozza, who introduced me to her article on mentoring minority faculty,” says Kiara, “Reading that article sparked my interest in this research.”
Collaborating on that project with her made me feel comfortable moving forward with this one because I knew I would have the support and guidance I needed.
Before this project, however, she got to experience the transformative experience of mentorship firsthand. She and her class worked with Carozza on research studying links between PTSD and dementia. Carozza’s encouragement helped Kiara develop a newfound confidence in herself. “Collaborating on that project with her made me feel comfortable moving forward with this one because I knew I would have the support and guidance I needed,” Kiara explains.
This foray into deeper research carried another layer of meaning for Kiara. “This was my first research project and it was mainly inspired to be a part two to her original article.”
Inspired by Carozza’s work, Kiara worked alongside her and , the director of Beekman Library. Together, they authored three articles that took a deep look at mentorship and representation within CSD.
They always met me where I was, and I really appreciated that.
, we focused on the lack of mentorship for underrepresented faculty in CSD and how that impacts recruitment, retention and advancement,” says Kiara. “For , we shifted towards the solutions and mentorship structures that could help close the gap. And then in , we emphasized the institutional responsibility to embed mentorship into academic culture instead of just leaving it up to chance.”
Their research made a clear argument: representation doesn’t happen accidentally. It requires intention, structure, and institutional commitment. And ironically, as they worked on research about mentorship, Kiara experienced the transformative impact of mentorship herself.
“Collaborating with Jennifer and Professor Carozza has been really, really meaningful to me,” Kiara says. Before this project, Kiara wasn’t certain she saw herself as a researcher, but Carozza’s constant support and Rosenstein’s guidance—finding sources, editing, and helping frame the articles—began to shift that perception.
“Having their input and knowing they believed in me and my abilities really reinforced my confidence,” says Kiara. “They always met me where I was, and I really appreciated that. Both of them are truly amazing, just incredible.”
Having the opportunity to be published is such a big deal.
As the trio analyzed mentorship structures in academia, Medina experienced what those structures could look like when done right: confidence-building, skill-sharpening, affirming. And as a first-generation student, the impact of this close mentorship was even more impactful.
“Having the opportunity to be published is such a big deal. I am a first generation student in my family so this is such a huge accomplishment,” Kiara says, going on to share how proud her family and friends are to see her work published.
Kiara has already started brainstorming future projects. She explains, “Working on these articles made me realize how closely research and advocacy can align.”
Kiara began this work by exploring why representation matters. Now, she is stepping fully into the role she once hoped to see, by shaping the future of her field from within.
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