Spartans Mentoring Spartans: Experiences from a Postsecondary Mentor Education Program

Previous scholarship has established peer mentoring as a valuable support mechanism for students, particularly underclassmen and underrepresented and underserved students. These benefits were amplified during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited traditional avenues of support at a time of heightened precarity among enrolled students. However, while peer mentoring has an established research base stating its benefits, scholars have also noted the potential limitations of this model, most notably interpersonal challenges and power dynamics which might arise among peers. Further, there remains a need for empirical studies on efficacious approaches for training potential mentors to navigate these dynamics. To that end, the current study examined the efficacy of a postsecondary mentor education program developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using post-experience interviews, students’ perceptions of the program, willingness to engage in future mentoring relationships, and self-reported capabilities to serve as an effective mentor were assessed. The findings contribute to the existing literature suggesting the importance of effective preparation of potential mentors in a peer-mentoring context as a pre-condition for positive outcomes for both mentor and mentees. Recommendations include future scholarship exploring outcomes for mentees in peer-mentoring relationships with mentors who have received prior training, as well as additional resources to expand the implementation of mentor education programs at other institutions.