Learning from the stories of successful undergraduate Latina/Latino students: the importance of mentoring

The purpose of the present study was to review the stories of 13 academically successful Latino undergraduate students and explore the role that mentoring and sponsorship played in their lives. A qualitative analysis was conducted to examine the participants' stories using two main descriptors of mentoring and sponsorship. Analyses indicated that participants engaged in more informal mentoring experiences in which family members, teachers and counselors served as mentors. Sponsorship was reported in the stories of some students. Most sponsors did not serve in a mentoring capacity. Sponsorship within the community provided financial support and networking opportunities for the students. The stories revealed that college mentoring and sponsorship positively impacted the students' lives following college matriculation. Finally, suggestions for improving mentoring practices are presented.