Reaching out from within: Poet’s soft lightning delivered with thunder

In this critical autoethnography, I explore my transformative life journey profoundly shaped through mentorship, analyzed within the conceptual frameworks of ecological systems theory, social networking theory, social capital theory, identity theory, and transformational leadership theory. Through introspective narrative inquiry and poetic expression, I critically examine my lived experiences from childhood through adulthood, highlighting the pivotal role mentors played within my ecological systems—microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. My study underscores the capacity of mentorship to mediate adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including intergenerational trauma and systemic racism, emphasizing the necessity of culturally responsive, asset-based mentoring practices to nurture resilient identities. Empirical literature and personal reflections converge, evidencing mentorship’s role in cultivating my prosocial behaviors, enhancing my academic and career trajectories, and influencing my identity formation. I advocate for integrative mentoring structures in educational settings, emphasizing accountability, equity, and comprehensive stakeholder involvement. Ultimately, this work contributes valuable insights into effective mentoring strategies, proposing holistic, culturally competent frameworks that empower youth to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education (UMKC)

Grantor

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Sanders, Poet T. L.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Caruthers, Loyce Ellenor, 1947-

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10355/109361

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/109361