A College Outreach Mentorship Program for High School Students: Considering College Student Mentors’ Roles and Perspectives

This case study examined a uniquely designed university-based college outreach work-study mentoring program in practice that is rooted in university-school partnerships. The study focuses on the roles and perspectives of the college student mentors in the program, as such perspectives are limited in the literature. The mentors assist high school students, many from underserved backgrounds, as they navigate the pathways of college admission. Interviews with mentors, as well as mentor training documents and report data, revealed the overall positive role mentors believed they played in improving college access for their mentees. Findings also shed light on improvements for the university-based program and its school partners.