The Impact of Non-Traditional Mentorship on Latina Graduate Students During Covid-19
Mentorship has long been a means in which to obtain industry/institutional knowledge with dedicated support from those with experience. Insider trading of this information shared through mentorship is a valuable resource. Understanding how COVID-19 impacted Latina graduate students’ acquisition of these relationships was the goal of the study. While much of the research has centered on the Latina/o/x undergraduate experience, this research focused on Latinas in graduate programs. This qualitative, phenomenological study delved into the lived experiences of Latinas in graduate programs during COVID-19 and how they incorporated non-traditional mentorship into their academic journey. Nine Latina graduate students shared their experiences through a series of focus groups.; bringing with them a dialogue that gathered first-person accounts of perseverance, self-advocacy, leadership, and a sense of comunidad. The sharing of these experiences also brought to light the challenges faced during a global pandemic navigating a system with documented racial disparities in advanced degree attainment between Latina/o/x students and the general population in graduate programming. The findings support the proposed hybrid collective network that is both culturally and academically relevant to Latina graduate students. The collective creates a pathway to engaging Latina graduate students and fostering a sense of belonging within graduate programs.
Comunidad, COVID-19, Latina Graduate Student, Leadership, Mentorship, Non-Traditional
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