Summary
The April 2026 Issue of The Latest: Mentorship, Student Leadership, and the Power of Roots and Wings.
Welcome to the April issue of The Latest! Building from last month’s reflections on mentorship, we’re exploring what it means to help students grow, lead, and step confidently into their own wings.
“A wise woman once said to me that there are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings.”
— Hodding Carter
This week I witnessed both the roots of mentorship and the wings of my students as they soared above their fears and many challenges along the way.
Impact and legacy away from the podium.
The annual meeting for the American Educational Research Association brings together over 14,000 researchers and practitioners to explore best practices and new innovations in education.
In a first, after 26 years of being at the conference, I did not present a single research finding. For some, this may be a let down. For me, this was an absolute triumph.
I got to be coach, cheerleader, and chief “you-got-this” preparation specialist for each of three student-led paper presentations. Truly an honor.
A year of work represented in a mere 12 minutes.
While the presentations were incredibly short, the preparation time was lengthy! The process included the research itself, proposal development, presentation materials, and final run throughs with our team. So much time and investment showcased in front of a crowd of strangers. Roots and wings, indeed.
The team shared three presentations on findings from work at the National Disability Center for Student Success. Our papers covered insights on college student decisions to disclose their disabilities to peers, faculty, and staff. We also explored faculty perspectives on using accessible teaching strategies. All of this work is the result of a large and dynamic collaborative team.
Watching our students shine and totally — not so humbly — kick butt — was incredibly fulfilling. A mountain top moment!
Mentorship from the 73rd Floor
Speaking of altitude, we then headed up to the top of the hotel, 73 stories up, and drank in the sunset and the (cool!) breezes of Los Angeles. That gathering and debrief in person was intentional and incredibly important. I was grateful for a chance to exhale together after the high-stakes public facing moments of the week. We brainstormed the “what could be” in our future work together, and gave ourselves a chance to dream big.
For me, being with my students during their professional milestones is a deeply personal and joyful experience. Setting people up for success is not just core to the mission of our Center, but of my own professional journey.
The view is breathtaking! Not just from the 73rd floor sky deck, but also the amazing potential of these young people and watching them grow and thrive.
Stephanie and Dalton smiling bigly with a view of the Los Angeles area in the background. Stephanie has a violet jacket and a white blouse with black feather accents, Dalton ha a white shirt with a floral tie. Both are wearing conference lanyards. Stephanie has sunglasses on with long brown hair and Dalton has glasses, a full beard and shoulder length brown hair.
Mentee spotlights!
I’m super excited to share a big overhaul of StephanieCawthon.com! A cornerstone of this refresh is the mentorship page, complete with profiles of many mentees.
More coming soon!
