Establishing Mentoring Relationships as Early-Career Latina Student Support Services Professionals

Latina student services administrators represent 7% of administrators on college campuses. The lack of Latina representation in administrator roles indicates the need to better recruit and retain this group of administrators. Mentoring is one tool which supports the retaining of administrators. Using a Chicana feminist epistemology and thematic analysis, this study examines the experiences of early-career Latina SSS administrators with mentoring and supportive communities. Our findings indicate that early-career Latina professionals struggle with establishing mentoring relationships; are intentional in seeking mentors; and often must resort to establishing their own peer communities of support. Implications for research and practice are discussed.