Abstract
Mentorship has long been a means in which to obtain industry/institutional knowledge with dedicated support from those with experience. Insider trading of this
information shared through mentorship is a valuable resource. Understanding how
COVID-19 impacted Latina graduate students’ acquisition of these relationships was the
goal of the study. While much of the research has centered on the Latina/o/x
undergraduate experience, this research focused on Latinas in graduate programs. This
qualitative, phenomenological study delved into the lived experiences of Latinas in
graduate programs during COVID-19 and how they incorporated non-traditional
mentorship into their academic journey. Nine Latina graduate students shared their
experiences through a series of focus groups.; bringing with them a dialogue that
gathered first-person accounts of perseverance, self-advocacy, leadership, and a sense of
comunidad. The sharing of these experiences also brought to light the challenges faced
during a global pandemic navigating a system with documented racial disparities in
advanced degree attainment between Latina/o/x students and the general population in
graduate programming. The findings support the proposed hybrid collective network that
is both culturally and academically relevant to Latina graduate students. The collective
creates a pathway to engaging Latina graduate students and fostering a sense of
belonging within graduate programs.