The role of institutional natural mentors in first‐generation college students' social belonging and academic outcomes
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11055105 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lidia Y Monjaras‐Gaytan (0000-0002-9737-6340, Department of Psychology Loyola University Chicago Chicago Illinois USA, corresponding author), Bernadette Sánchez (0000-0001-5867-5340, College of Education University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois USA), Elizabeth B Raposa (0000-0001-8169-3862, Department of Psychology Fordham University Bronx New York USA), Carys Lovell (Department of Psychology DePaul University Chicago Illinois USA), Ida Salusky (0000-0003-4868-9807, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University Chicago Illinois USA) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 77 |
| Issue | 3-4 |
| Pages | 385-396 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-16 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Community Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0091-0562 • E-ISSN: 1573-2770 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/ajcp.70038 |
| PMID | 41400638 |
| OpenAlex | W4417398244 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 35 |
One source of support that may help first‐generation college students (FGCS) complete their undergraduate studies is institutional natural mentors (e.g., university faculty, staff). Yet, few researchers have examined factors that contribute to having these relationships, and their relationship to college adjustment, among FGCS. The aim of this study was to examine whether FGCS' help‐seeking behaviors predicted the presence of institutional natural mentoring relationships, and whether these mentoring relationships were related to students' sense of belonging at their college and GPA over time. Participants included 358 first‐generation, ethnically/racially diverse college students. Path analyses indicated that help‐seeking beliefs before college did not significantly predict the presence of institutional natural mentoring relationships during college overall, but did predict a higher number of endorsed institutional mentors. The presence of any institutional natural mentor within the first 2 years of college was not significantly related to academic outcomes in students' third year; however, having a greater number of institutional natural mentors was related to a stronger sense of belonging on one's college campus. Study findings have implications for interventions aimed at supporting FGCS to persist in higher education
Community college · Health psychology · Higher education · Interpersonal relationship · Natural (archaeology) · Psychological intervention · Public university · Social support · Career Development and Diversity · Higher Education Research Studies · Mentoring and Academic Development
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Rethinking Racism
Cultural Knowledge and Social Inequality
Cultural capital and first-generation college success
Effects of College Transition and Perceptions of the Campus Racial Climate on Latino College Students' Sense of Belonging
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(No) Harm in Asking
Informal Mentors and Education
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |