Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
The Adultspan Journal Fellowship Program: A Structured Mentorship Experience. |
| Authors: |
Robins, Lauren B., Dockery, Natese R., Chester, Courtney T. K., Morris, Crystal, Moore, Teah, Liu, Zoey, Johnson, Kaprea F. |
| Source: |
Adultspan Journal. Spring2026, Vol. 25 Issue 1, p1-14. 14p. |
| Subjects: |
Mentoring, Career development, Peers, Peer review of students, Doctoral students, Counselor educators, Professional identity |
| Abstract: |
This qualitative study used reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to explore how the Adultspan Journal Fellowship Program, a structured, cohort-based mentorship initiative, supports the development of doctoral students and early-career counselor educators. Grounded in Social Learning Theory, the program integrates hands-on journal management, guided peer review, collaborative writing, and monthly didactic sessions within multi-layered mentorship. Data from asynchronous email interviews and document analysis with seven fellows across two cohorts (2022-2024) yielded four themes: (1) Cultivating Belonging Through Structured Mentorship, highlighting affirming guidance that reduced isolation and built peer networks; (2) Building Confidence and Professional Identity, reflecting growth in scholarly voice, self-efficacy, and faculty readiness; (3) Developing Scholarly and Editorial Expertise, showing gains in peer review, editorial decision-making, and publication workflows that enhanced research and writing practices; and (4) Refining the Fellowship Experience, emphasizing fellows' calls for clearer onboarding, extended duration, and expanded professional development. Findings suggest that structured, cohort-based mentorship can address gaps in doctoral training by blending authentic editorial tasks with identity-affirming support, offering a replicable model for counselor education programs and editorial boards seeking to build inclusive pipelines of emerging scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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Copyright of Adultspan Journal is the property of Association for Adult Development & Aging (AADA) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| Database: |
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
