Stories of a transformative mentorship: graduate student glue

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to narrate authors’ personal and professional experiences as doctoral graduate students, highlighting the personal and academic growth fostered through an organic peer mentorship and advocating that these relationships be cultivated actively by faculty advisors. Design/methodology/approach The concepts of purpose, planning, and positivity are employed to organize the discussion, which is based on relevant literature and the authors’ lived experiences. Findings Like most students who pursue and complete doctoral degrees, the authors experienced transformative learning. The authors acknowledge myriad ways their informal peer mentoring relationship was a critical component of successful degree completion. Originality/value While their relationship remains unique and perhaps inimitable, the authors seek to extrapolate the universal qualities relevant to others seeking a deep and personal support system during their doctoral degree-seeking journey.