2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

At a community college in the Southwest United States, 72% of the students identify as Hispanic/Latinx yet only 16% of this demographic graduate in normal time, compared to the national average of community college graduation rate of 35% [1]. This Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) enrolls many Pell-eligible and first-generation students. Community colleges are key to the higher education landscape, providing mostly minority students with degree programs, certificates, and continuing education opportunities [2]. To address the low graduation rate, the Science, Engineering, and Math (SEM) division of this institution piloted a peer mentoring program in the Spring of 2023 in which an experienced student, or peer mentor, was embedded in an introductory science class. The program has evolved over time with the current count of 18 peer mentors embedded in 30 courses.

Due to the impact that mentoring and tutoring has on peer mentors’ future career, the study is framed using the Career Construction Theory [3], which underscores personal meaning of one’s lived experiences, constructing careers through a sense of meaning, and clarifying future plans. Thus, the research questions driving this study are:
● How do students make meaning of their experiences as peer mentors?
● What components of the peer mentoring program contribute to peer mentors’ future STEM career plans?

Peer mentoring programs have been demonstrated to have impacts on student mentees and peer mentors [4]. A multi-semester qualitative research study explores the impact of the peer mentoring program on student mentees’ academic and social success with findings suggesting peer mentors positively impacting students’ awareness of institutional resources and developing strong academic and study habits, among others. However, what is unknown is the impact of the program on the peer mentors’ success. Qualitative data including student self-reflections and focus groups will be collected to address these research questions. This study has been approved by the local Institutional Review Board.

The peer mentoring program solicits students who were academically successful in the SEM courses to serve as resources for students in and outside of the classroom. Most of the peer mentors major in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) disciplines. Peer mentors attend every class and provide tutoring outside of the class. Further, peer mentors are trained on campus resources including financial aid, academic advising, and food pantry services, and are expected to share knowledge of resources with the students. The peer mentors are either returning community college students or attend the college’s affiliated four-year university. The experiences of peer mentors may contribute to clarification of their career goals and development of skills necessary for the workforce. Current findings suggest peer mentors place value on supporting students with academic content, study skills, and resources as evidenced by the following quote: “So for me, most of the students ask about the content of the class, the fractions, and then I can recommend the tutoring center or maybe websites or apps they can use to practice.” This semester, the researchers will further explore how peer mentors’ experiences contribute to their career development.