The Influence of Advisors’ Advising Style on the Career Interests of Black and Latinx Students in STEM Graduate Programs

Abstract

The advisor-advisee relationship can influence students’ career choices, yet little is understood as it pertains to Black and Latinx graduate students in STEM (German et al., 2019).  The purpose of this study is to investigate how graduate advisors’ actions influenced the career interest of Black and Latinx students in STEM graduate programs.  Critical Race Theory (CRT), specifically storytelling, was used to explore the experiences of Black and Latinx students at Predominantly White Institutions as it provides an in-depth understanding of the issues in postsecondary settings (Patton, 2006).  Using a qualitative research approach, data were collected through six individual semi-structured interviews over three years with each participant.  The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed with emergent coding.  This study’s findings illustrated that Black and Latinx students benefited from advisors asking about career interests, discussing career options, being a role model, and assisting with networking and resources.