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National Mentoring Day is a day to celebrate mentors and mentees, while thanking them for all the work they do. This year, we would like to highlight an all-star economics duo, Brianna Alderman and Roger Blair.

Alderman, a UF alum who triple-majored in math, statistics, and economics, just graduated last spring before starting graduate school at Harvard, making her the first economics graduate from UF to pursue graduate studies there.

Alderman grew up in Gainesville, her deep-rooted connection to her hometown fueling her anticipation for the day she’d finally step foot on UF’s campus as a student. She started on her academic path as a mathematics major, inspired by one of her beloved teachers at Buchholz High School. However, Alderman’s unwavering intellectual curiosity led her to embark on an extraordinary academic pursuit — a triple major encompassing mathematics, statistics, and economics.

Undertaking three majors simultaneously was no easy feat, but the interconnections between the three fields of study proved invaluable for Alderman. She skillfully managed her demanding course load while maintaining a near-perfect 4.0 GPA.

Beyond her academic commitments, Alderman still found time to engage in extracurricular activities and enjoy UF’s vibrant social scene. Evenings spent bonding with friends and watching live music were integral to her well-rounded college experience.

Although economics wasn’t her initial choice of major, Alderman discovered an innate love for the subject. After spending two transformative years in the Department of Economics, she decided to pursue employment with the group. She initially applied to be a teaching assistant for one of the large fundamental economics courses, but Thomas Knight, the department chair, recognized her potential. Witnessing her exceptional aptitude and drive, he introduced her to Professor Roger Blair.

Blair, a renowned figure in the economics department, has a long history of advocacy against monopolization and labor exploitation, which lined up perfectly with Alderman’s professional interests. When Knight referred Alderman to him, Blair was looking for an assistant to help with his research and tasks around his office.

Despite the vast chasm of almost six decades that separated their ages, Alderman and Blair forged a profound bond, surpassing the traditional boundaries of a researcher-assistant relationship.

Their connection evolved into a captivating mentorship, defying the expectations set by their divergent paths. Alderman began to take on more difficult assignments, with Blair’s unwavering guidance serving as her compass.

Before long, their intellectual synergy resulted in the publication of an astounding seven joint papers in their two-year tenure together. In addition, Alderman wrote a paper as a solo author on collusion in the cattle industry, which would eventually be published in The Antitrust Bulletin. Brianna and Roger are also working on an economics book together and hope to share more details about it soon.

“Of the papers we worked on together, the cattle paper was my favorite to work on,” Alderman said. “It was the first time I ever wrote and published a paper on my own, so I was really nervous about putting myself out there like that.”

Buoyed by her success and Blair’s support, Alderman summoned the courage to take the next step and apply for the economics program at Harvard. She was accepted, becoming the first UF student to secure admission into the prestigious program.

Mentorships like these can be invaluable to both students and professors, with new opportunities for growth and advancement opening for everyone.

“I am so proud of her,” Blair said. “Normally, you can’t see a tree grow, but I have seen her grow and develop her skills.”