Multidisciplinary Graduate Student Alliance (MGSA): Crafting a diverse peer mentoring network within and beyond a Predominantly White Institution (PWI)

This chapter engages the formation of an interdisciplinary peer-mentoring group that empowered graduate students of color to navigate varied and complex challenges within a predominantly white institution (PWI) in the Rocky Mountain Region. In doing this work, both intended and unintended barriers were exposed and navigated. The chapter describes the journeys of three students and their advisor, who are from diverse backgrounds. Their journeys are followed from the formation of the group through their matriculation and subsequent steps in their respective professional careers. The auto-ethnographic techniques, derived from self-study, involved an application of those utilized by CURVE-Y-FRiENDs (C-Y-F) global network. The challenges identified based on C-Y-F were: (1) intellectual identities, (2) cultural/racial/ethnic/linguistic identities, (3) pursuit of professional careers, and (4) personal/professional relationships. In our work, we identify our journeys’ salient outcomes and provide practical recommendations for various university stakeholders.