Award Date

5-15-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

First Committee Member

Rachael Robnett

Second Committee Member

Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt

Third Committee Member

Jennifer Rennels

Fourth Committee Member

Kim Nehls

Number of Pages

89

Abstract

First-generation students often encounter systemic barriers and inequities in academic pursuits related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Many institutions implement mentoring programs to mitigate these challenges; however, the effectiveness of STEM mentoring relationships for first-generation college students has been underexplored in the empirical literature. The current study centers the voices of first-generation college students to explore how mentors and institutions can better support their success through STEM mentoring relationships. In addition, this study examines how mentors’ generational status informs how they approach mentoring relationships with first-generation mentees. Participants included mentors and first-generation mentees in STEM research mentoring relationships who completed one-hour in-depth interviews. The sample consisted of 22 first-generation mentees, 16 first-generation mentors, and 19 continuing generation mentors, spanning 15 states and capturing a diverse range of perspectives. A map of all participating states is presented in the Appendix, Figure 1. Thematic analysis revealed challenges first-generation mentees encountered in STEM research, including navigating implicit rules and expectations. It also highlighted mentoring behaviors that supported a first-generation mentee’s growth, such as intentionally sharing social capital. These findings provide valuable insight into how institutions and mentors can create tailored support to better serve their first-generation college students in STEM research.

Keywords

First-Generation College Students; Hidden Curriculum; Mentoring; Mentorship; STEM

Disciplines

Developmental Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social Psychology

File Format

PDF

File Size

801 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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