146 Who Are Our Friends?
The focus on career development differentiates peer mentoring from friend-
ships. Sharing organizational knowledge is how some researchers characterize peer
mentoring (Bryant & Terborg, 2008). The difference between peer and traditional
mentoring is “the level of experience and power that the mentors have” (Bryant &
Terborg, 2008, p. 12). It appears that individuals who are peer mentors face fewer
relational challenges than individuals in traditional mentoring relationships (Ensher
& Murphy, 2011). Peer mentors typically provide more psychosocial support than
instrumental support and may be less likely to pose relational challenges (Bolton,
2005). This line of work suggests that peer relationships that evolve into special peer
relationships, where peers then look to one another for career support, may be an
example of friends as mentors.
Data from a formal, college- student peer- mentoring program at a large, research
institution in the southeastern part of the United States illustrates how peer mentors
may also become friends (Lunsford, 2015a). The author examined archival evalu-
ation records after the completion of the mentoring program as part of a program
review. During the 2014 fall semester, 25 returning college students were paired
with one or two incoming first- year students (N = 51) for a 6- week, peer mentor-
ing program. The mentors and protégés were surveyed at the mid- and end point of
the program. About 40% of the 24 mentors, who responded to the midpoint sur-
vey, wrote about friendship when they described their “points of pride” about the
relationship. For example, one mentor wrote, “There’s been at least one major con-
nection with each mentee that allowed the relationship to evolve to more than just
the typical mentor- mentee relationship.” Another mentor wrote, “I have been able
to form two friendships with both of my mentees.” Mentors were invited to share
additional thoughts, which revealed that some mentors considered their peer rela-
tionships to be developing friendships. One mentor wrote, “I can’t wait to see what
they’ll do, and hope to keep them both as friends.” Even at the end of the program
mentors expressed an interest in remaining friends. For example, when reporting
on points of pride in the relationship, one wrote, “I feel like our relationship has
grown so much over these six weeks and that it will be a relationship that continues.”
Another mentor wrote, “Both of my mentees and I formed strong relationships and
continue to meet even though the official program is over.”
What about the protégé perspective? They were given the same survey as the
mentors, and 36 of the 51 protégés shared information about their “points of pride”
in the relationship. Almost half (44%) of these respondents considered their men-
tor to be a friend, even 3 weeks (midpoint) into the program. These students wrote
warmly about their relationships with comments such as, “I definitely gained a great
friend from the mentor program.” And “I feel like she would simply encourage me
even more, instead of highlighting my failures. I could honestly talk to her about my
doubts, fears, uncertainties, and anything else really!” Even the formal nature and
assignment of peer mentors did not change the fact that some students developed
genuine friendships, as expressed by one protégé: “I imagined the mentor/ mentee