HERstory

Abstract

The lower graduation rates of Black female students are a concern that colleges and universities needs to further explore. This study sought to hear from Black female students about their college experiences to further investigate causes and find solutions to the lower graduation rates of Black female students. Participants in Cycle 1 consisted of Black females who recently graduated from an institution of higher education in the New England area. These participants were interviewed to learn more about the challenges and obstacles they faced during their time at college. After data collection and evaluation of Cycle 1, a mentoring program was created as an action step in Cycle 2 to provide specialized support for incoming Black female students in order to strengthen the retention and graduation rates of this unique population of students. Action steps including the HERstory mentoring program was designed, implemented, and evaluated in Cycle 2 to provide specialized resources and support to incoming Black female students. Incoming Black female college students served as mentees and were paired with a Black female faculty/staff members at Northeastern who served as mentors. Participants in the HERstory mentoring program was to provide support to students as they transitioned to college. Mentees were paired with a faculty/staff member who was knowledgeable of campus resources and could also offer personal and professional guidance and advice. Participants completed a survey to provide feedback on their experience in the mentoring program as well as to assess the action step. Findings concluded that the student participants found it beneficial to have a Black female mentor, as it assisted with their transition to a predominately White institution. The study concluded that specialized resources, such a mentoring program that paired Black female students with a Black female faculty/staff member, was valuable and helped these students feel more connected to their college. Implications for the organization included additional research needs to be conducted to further learn about the experiences of Black female students as well as assess the current resources, or lack thereof, to support these students as they work on obtaining their college degree.--Author's abstract