First Steps, Lasting Impact: Reflections on Faculty-Student Mentorship at SOPHE 2025

Undergraduate research experiences provide high-impact educational opportunities for undergraduate public health students and serve as valuable career development activities for both students and faculty mentors. This reflective article shares faculty and student experiences from attending and presenting at the 2025 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Annual Conference in Long Beach, California. Three undergraduate students enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) program, under faculty mentorship, presented original research examining the marketing tactics of diet teas. Each student's reflection highlights personal and professional growth through their first exposure to national-level research dissemination and networking. Faculty mentorship facilitated student skill development in public speaking, research dissemination, and professional identity formation, while also providing the faculty mentor with professional fulfillment and opportunities to contribute to student success. The experience reinforces the importance of providing undergraduate students-particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds-with access to professional development opportunities early in their careers. The reflections presented serve as a practical model for faculty seeking to integrate research mentorship and conference participation into undergraduate health promotion training.