Mentorship, both formal and informal, plays a key role in the growth and development of all students as they prepare for their lives and career after graduation. In this session, the presenter will share findings from her dissertation research, a study which explored the professional mentorship experiences, both at work and through other communities, of women and gender expansive emerging professionals of color (W+EPoC). This study utilized semistructured interviews, thematic analysis, and Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth as a theoretical framework to explore connections between mentorship experiences and sense of cultural wealth. The session will highlight some key findings that are relevant to higher education professionals supporting women and trans people of color as they prepare for their careers after school. The presenter will also share specific recommendations based on the research findings for best practices to better support this population of students, and give participants time to explore how they might apply those recommendations in their own work.
