Mentoring Undergraduate University Women Survivors of Childhood Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence

This inquiry describes the role of mentoring for undergraduate women survivors of trauma. It employed a comparative case approach. Interviews elicited stories from participants reflecting the role mentors have played in their life course and educational experiences. Four major themes emerged: Fantasy mentors, mentor as mirror, mentor as nurturer and supporter, and mentor as the embodiment of a profession. Issues of women's identity were particularly salient to these themes. Deviant cases provided an opportunity to reexamine the limits of the data and exhibited themes of self-reliance or seeing mentoring as controlling. Implications for mentoring women in higher education are discussed.