Mentorship Reimagined: The Transformative Impact of Reciprocal Mentoring on Professional Identity in Higher Education

• In Event: Cultivating Urban Education Leaders: A Collaborative Mentorship Model for Systemic Transformation

Abstract

Building on Frierian philosophy that teaching and learning are reciprocal acts, this paper
explores reciprocal mentoring as a paradigm shift from traditional hierarchical mentoring toward collaborative, mutually beneficial exchanges. Using collaborative autoethnography (CAE), reflections of four higher education scholars are centered, examining how their experiences with The Urban Education Collaborative (UEC) impacted their career trajectories. The chapter employs two analytical lenses: narrative identity theory, allowing exploration of how mentorship experiences shaped professional identities, and communities of practice (CoP), which views learning as involving knowledge gathering, skill development, and identity formation. Through these frameworks, the authors highlight how reciprocal mentoring relationships are integral to their success and their identities, transcending individual experiences as they integrate these practices into the professional journeys.

Authors

• Tempestt Richardson Adams, Appalachian State University

• Derrick Robinson, North Carolina A&T State University

• Brian Williams, North Carolina A&T State University

• Nakeshia N. Williams, North Carolina A&T State University