Stories of success:: Experiences of American Indian students in a peer-mentoring retention program

The postsecondary attrition rate for American Indian students is higher than of any other racial or ethnic group. It is therefore imperative to identify factors that encourage their persistence in higher education. Employing a phenomenological approach, this study explored the experiences of American Indian college students in a peer-mentoring retention program at one university. The findings revealed key elements in establishing a successful peer-mentoring relationship and confirmed that peer mentoring can be a vital component in American Indian student integration and academic success. These findings warrant further investigation into the characteristics-of successful peer-mentoring programs using other American Indian populations. Copyright © 2007 Association for the Study of Higher Education All Rights Reserved.