Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Carlos Guzman

Second Advisor

Martinrez Kedziora

Third Advisor

Joseph Jaconette

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of GED graduates who were mentored while earning their GED and examined how those mentoring experiences contributed to their academic achievement in community college. Although increasing numbers of adult learners pursue postsecondary education through the GED pathway, many encounter barriers related to academic confidence, institutional navigation, and access to support systems. Limited research has examined how mentoring supports GED graduates during their transition into higher education.

Guided by the College Student Mentoring Scale developed by Nora and Crisp (2009), this study examined mentoring experiences across four domains: psychological and emotional support, degree and career support, academic and subject knowledge support, and role modeling. Eleven GED graduates who received mentoring during GED preparation and subsequently enrolled in community college participated in in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed to identify shared patterns across participants’ experiences.

Findings indicated that mentoring supported participants through emotional encouragement, institutional navigation, academic strategy development, and role modeling. These supports helped participants rebuild confidence, understand college systems, develop effective learning strategies, and begin to see themselves as college students. Collectively, mentoring functioned as a multidimensional developmental support process that contributed to participants’ enrollment, persistence, and academic success in community college. The findings highlight the potential value of expanding mentoring opportunities within adult education programs serving GED students.

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