(PS8-10) Mentor/Mentee Matching as a Buffer to Discrimination on Campus

First generation college students (FGCS) make up a third of the population, yet their attrition rate is 71% higher than continuing generation students (Ishitani, 2003). The transition to college can be especially challenging for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) FGCS as they navigate cultural, social, and academic adjustments (Pascarella et al., 2004). Additionally, college campuses often serve as sites of racial discrimination (Leath & Chavous, 2018), further exacerbating challenges for BIPOC FGCS.

Research shows that social supports like mentors can mitigate discrimination’s impact on students’ mental health (Steers et al. 2019). One underexplored but potentially key protective factor is naturally occurring mentoring relationships with non-parental adults as they foster socio-emotional, cognitive, and identity development, and may have longitudinal benefits for mental health outcomes (Hagler et al., 2019). Exploring mentoring as a buffer against racism’s negative effects is crucial to understanding its role in student well-being.

The present study addressed gaps in the literature by examining the protective role of natural mentors for BIPOC FGCS. Analyses explored whether racial discrimination predicted mental health outcomes, specifically depression, worry, and stress, and if racial match with a mentor influenced the type of support received and its buffering effects. Additionally, the study examined whether having at least one natural mentor offsets discrimination’s harmful effects.

Using two waves of data (Wave 1: 2018–2019; Wave 2: Spring 2021) from the Transitions to College Study, this study examined how mentors buffer campus discrimination. Participants were recruited from a private university in a midwestern urban city (N = 131), a predominantly white institution in the southeast (N = 55), and a public, historically black college/university in the southeast (N = 77). Participants primarily identified as female (N = 204, 77.6%), Hispanic/Latine (N = 97, 36.9%), and 32.7% (N = 86) identified as Black or African American. 

Among all participants (N = 263), students with race-matched mentors reported higher remote engagement (t(43.18) = 2.11, p = 0.04, 95% CI [0.03, 1.22]) and perceived support from their mentors (t(33.10) = 2.49, p = 0.02, 95% CI [0.18, 1.82]) and a marginally significant increase on perceived closeness (t(45.41) = 1.95, p = 0.06, 95% CI [-0.01, 0.84]). Multiple regression models covarying for location and sex examined the relationship between mentors with a shared racial identity and mental health. Having a race-matched mentor did not show significant main or interaction effect among stress (β = -0.02, p = 0.95; β = -0.17, p = 0.43), worry (β = 0.65, p = 0.16; β = -0.31, p = 0.31), or depression (β = 0.36, p</span> = 0.48; β = -0.33, p = 0.33), indicating that these factors may not be as influential as expected.

As an exploratory study, these results highlight the complexity of discrimination on mental health and the nuanced role of mentorship in supporting BIPOC students, suggesting that benefits may depend more on relationship quality than frequency or race-matching alone. Future research should examine how shared perspectives, experiences, and cultural likeness contribute to mentorship effectiveness.