Servingness in Action: Peer Mentoring Among Latinas in STEM

The educational pathways into a STEM career continue to lack diverse perspectives. Latinas are a growing college student population in Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) that, despite challenges, demonstrate resilience in higher education by engaging their culture. We examined the success strategies of Latina students majoring in STEM and nearing graduation to apply them to a mentorship program. These strategies were provided to mentors and mentees, all Latinas in STEM fields, to guide their mentoring sessions during one academic year. Focus groups at the conclusion of the program allowed reflection of the experience. Findings highlighted the role mentors played in guiding professional and personal development of mentees. Mentors passed down knowledge about successful strategies to mentees, such as joining student organizations. The significance of familial motivation among participants was demonstrated through descriptions of their families as motivation and bringing elements of familial connection to the mentoring relationship. Finally, some participants described their intersectionality (as women and Latines) through engagement of their identities, such as joining Latine and women-led organizations, finding a sense of belonging in these groups. Overall, we demonstrate the importance of non-academic outcomes (e.g., support and validation) through mentoring in an HSI. Recommendations are made based on the findings.