Providing effective leadership and mentorship to students often requires an understanding of power systems and a focus on amplifying marginalized voices. The author, who identifies as a queer white woman, in her years as a graduate student, has found that attention to voice is essential, but also messy. As Donna M. Lanclos reminds, "Confronting the 'mess' of people's everyday practice is a necessary first step towards more effectively connecting people to the resources they want and need." The "mess" of her own pedagogical journey reflects the various resources she draws upon to work inclusively with students in the classroom as she tries to support them in achieving their dreams. In this article, she examines how she continues to amplify students' voices and honor their experiences and knowledge. She believes that the only way to genuinely support students is to be open to one's own mistakes and failures, and to model for students how to use those mistakes as powerful opportunities for development.