The Motivations of STEM Mentors

• In Event: 25.064 - Mentoring in Higher Education

Abstract

This paper seeks to understand the motivations and benefits of mentoring in an afterschool engineering program on college student mentors. We draw on social exchange theory as the foundation for our thinking and analysis. In this paper, we report on early findings from an ongoing, three-year study of an afterschool engineering program for fourth and fifth grade boys of color where undergraduate STEM majors serve as mentors. Data come from interviews with and observations of five male mentors. Early findings suggest that the mentors’ motivations were somewhat different, with two of the three mentors joining for self-enhancement, and the other three joining for reasons such as empathy. We found some limited evidence of our hypothesis

Authors

• Virginia Walker Snodgrass Rangel, University of Houston

• Jerrod Henderson, University of Houston

• Ricky Greer, University of Houston

• Mariam Manuel, University of Houston

• Sara Jones, University of Houston

• Syed Rizvi, University of Houston