From Student to Scholar

DeShawn Chapman is Manager of the Parramore Education and Innovation District Education Programs in the Center for Higher Education Innovation at the University of Central Florida, USA. Chapman is also Director of First Star Central Florida Academy, a postsecondary and career preparation program for youth in foster care. Chapman is a Holmes Scholar Alumna and Vice Chair of the Urban Education Topical Action Group with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Chapman’s practical work and research focus on cultivating equitable learning environments for learners impacted by poverty, trauma, and/or foster care.Amanda Wilkerson is Assistant Professor of Urban Education in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida, USA. She also serves as affiliated faculty and visiting scholar with the Center for Minority Serving Institutions at Rutgers University, USA. Wilkerson is a Holmes Scholar Alumna andChair of the Urban Education Topical Action Group with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Wilkerson has written educational materials and coordinated forums on significant social, educational, and community matters. Her Twitter handle is @DrAVWilkerson.

• 1. Introduction: From Student to Scholar: Critical ethnographic conceptualizations of mentoring a Black female scholar and considerations for diversifying the academy.- 2. Bridging mentoring and professional development for African American doctoral student success.- 3. Stepping away from my comfort zone.- 4. From HBCU to PWI, my journey to becoming a scholar.- 5. The ultimate measure: A Caribbean woman's dream and journey to surpass expectations and overcome academic obstacles.- 6. Pulling as we climb: No sisters left behind.- 7. The importance of new paths in mentoring for graduate students in their search for academic opportunities after graduation: An auto-ethnography.- 8. The P in Ph.D. stands for persistence: Navigating the system during the dissertation process.- 9. Transitioning from student to academic: The role of mentorship in the evolution from doctoral student to assistant professor.- 10. Traversing the muddy waters: Considering the non-traditional working journey of a high-achieving black female working scholar.- 11. Effective mentoring for diverse leaders.- 12. Principled mentoring: The impact on underrepresented scholars within America's colleges of education.- 13. Creating the research pipeline through mentorship and self-advocacy.- 14. Conclusion: Lifting Scholar's Voices: An analysis of scholar's reflections on mentoring as support in the academy.-

“This book offers is more depth to our existing understanding of mentoring … . Although the book is likely to produce the best effect when read from cover to cover, its chapters also work as stand-alone pieces. … another valuable contribution of the book comes from this exact reality: its recommendations and insights to practitioners, such as supervisors, teachers, or whoever wants to become a good mentor. … the book is a valuable contribution to the mentoring literature.” (Melina Aarnikoivu, Higher Education, November 15, 2021)