Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are incredibly valuable to the world as innovations can help improve infrastructure and save lives. The United States has called for improvements in mentoring to help build a larger STEM workforce. Many studies and reports have focused on the experience of mentees within communities of practice (COP) to determine mentoring best practices. But few studies have investigated how mentors define their role within the COP. In this study, we provide data from interviews with mentors in a Research Experience for Undergraduate program and a Research Experience for Teachers program. We compare the views of mentors who work with undergraduates to those who work with teachers to highlight the differing views of these two groups and how this affects the type of mentoring provided. Our findings show that mentors struggle to see their role in the RET program since there is not a direct link between mentoring teachers and building the STEM workforce. This is problematic as teachers could be crucial allies in this endeavor.