Towards a Mentoring Model That Enhances Academic, Social, and Cultural Capital in Turbulent Times

Abstract

Academically at-risk students may doubt their ability to persist and succeed because of some or all of the following: socioeconomics, low self-esteem, identity crises, negative family histories, socio-emotional concerns, poor living situations, or negative messages about school and education. Currently, the aforementioned issues are further compounded by turbulent times, which include but are not limited to a pandemic that disproportionately affects people of color and the impoverished, along with continued civil unrest and demands for rapid societal change. Therefore, this population would benefit from the enhancement of its academic, social, and cultural capital. In order to accomplish those goals simultaneously, the authors propose a mentoring model that integrates aspects of advising, tutoring, mentoring, peer-to-peer interaction, metacognition, positive psychology, current events, and emotional wellness to support academically at-risk students in their pursuit of academic and personal excellence.