The U.S. shortage of qualified nursing teachers and researchers is affecting national health care outcomes. Methods such as fast-tracking Baccalaureate nurses into graduate programs and embedding leadership development early into nursing curricula have been proposed to address faculty and research shortages. Early interest in nursing research careers increases likelihood of enrollment in graduate education. One way undergraduate nursing students may develop an interest in research careers is through a mentored apprenticeship with research-active faculty. In this thesis, the author uses an autoethnography methodology to examine the benefits that a mentored research apprenticeship model brought to her undergraduate experience. Her experience incorporated a variety of roles in an adolescent intervention program with Dr. Anne Norris (PI) at the University of Central Florida College of Nursing. Several themes about the experience were defined in the results. Early research exposure that socializes a student to the nursing research world may provide a means for addressing the nursing faculty shortage. This socialization can generate interest in a research career and promote undergraduate students with the essential tools and insights needed to pursue this career pathway. However, findings from this study suggest a student-mentor relationship early in the undergraduate education experience is essential.

<p> </p> <p>Traditional kinship systems involve the organization of individuals who are biologically connected. However, such systems have evolved beyond bloodlines to incorporate individuals that are biologically unassociated but operate in familial-like roles due to shared spaces and/or experiences. Historically, kinship systems or cultural networks have functioned as the cornerstone of survival for those of the Black lived experience. From the days of legalized human chattel slavery to present-day movements seeking justice for the minoritized, the foundation of kinship was typically built through the local church, the assumed maternal positions by Black women, Black secret societies and more. They each served, and continue to serve, as a means for survival and success against a systemically oppressive society. This study explores the notion and existence of kinship systems at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). It specifically examines how fictive kinships through the lens of faculty-student dynamics, religion, and social activities, potentially influences the academic experience of Black students at HBCUs that currently have an above average retention rate. As America’s educational institution has lacked diversity, inclusion, justice, and equity for Black people for countless years, the primary mission of this study was to amplify Black student voices which have traditionally been suppressed. A supplemental goal of this study was to offer Black students tools for introspection that will aid them in navigating possible barriers to (post) educational success. In turn, this study gives insight to predominantly white institutions of higher learning on how to positively enhance the experience and retention of Black students, and the overall structure of diversity and inclusion on campus.</p>