The author reflects on her journey seeking female mentors in academia, describing encounters with unhelpful responses from professors and feeling discouraged about balancing motherhood with a scholarly career.

In this article, the author reflects on their experience of feeling unemployable and their entry into the Wexner Field Fellowship.

Dinah Berland, a Jewish poet and author, has been a mentor to Amanda Gorman, the young poet who gained fame for her recitation at President Joe Biden's inauguration.