2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Public community colleges offer a range of educational offerings including certificate options, associate and bachelor’s degrees, and continuing education programs [1]. Across the United States, there are over 1,000 community colleges enrolling 10.9 million students with approximately 24% of those enrolled being adult learners [2]. Unlike traditional college students whose ages range between 18 and 22 years old, adult learners are over the age of 25. This demographic is motivated to pursue post-secondary education for career advancement or change, earnings potential, or to fulfill a personal dream. Some may enroll in degree programs whereas others return for additional credentials [3].

The institution of our study is a community college near the United States and Mexico border and is home to approximately 6,800 undergraduates; 27% are over the age of 25. Approximately 70% of the students identify as Hispanic yet only 16% of this demographic graduate in normal time [4], compared to the national average of community college graduation rate of 43% [5]. To address the low graduation rate, the Science, Engineering, and Math (SEM) division piloted a peer mentoring program in 2023 with a current count of 15 peer mentors embedded in 27 SEM courses. Peer mentors are students who passed the class they are embedded in and provide academic and socioemotional support to students.

Peer mentoring programs have academic and socioemotional outcomes on students [6]. A multi-semester mixed-methods study utilizing surveys and focus groups explored the impact of the peer mentoring program on student mentees’ academic and social success. Findings suggesting peer mentors positively impact students’ academic and study skills and awareness of resources [7]. Furthermore, the impact of peer mentoring is salient on adult students as they balance work, school, and family obligations.

This study is guided by the Learning Partnerships Model [8] which asserts that students’ academic goals are met through intrapersonal and interpersonal growth. The rationale for this framework lies in the dynamics of our study participants’ goals to return to college as adults. Their intrapersonal goals pursuing a degree intersect with their interpersonal reliance on peer mentors to assist them in achieving their goals. The study conducted in the 2024-2025 academic year and fall 2025 are guided by the following research questions:
● What components of the peer mentoring program help adult students achieve their intrapersonal goals?
● To what extent does the interpersonal relationship between a peer mentor and adult student contribute to the adult student’s desire to persist in their STEM program?

Qualitative data are analyzed using thematic analysis whereas quantitative survey data are analyzed through descriptive statistics. Preliminary findings suggest that adult students achieve their intrapersonal goals through the help of peer mentors. That is, peer mentoring allows students to focus on academics while alleviating personal, out-of-classroom concerns. The relationship between the peer mentor and the adult student, coupled with the academic and social support provided to the student, encourages students to persist in their degree program. The final manuscript will address the aforementioned research questions using findings from our analyses.