The literature focusing on mentorships arnd underachieving gifted young men is almost nonexistent. To address this need, the researchers examined the mentorship experiences of three students who characterized various aspects of giftedness -and underachievement in males. The findigs of the study revealed a single core category with three attendant subcategories. The influence of a significant adult on a young person was the dominant category. Several related subcategories reinforced the importance of the mentor: mentors' open-minded and nonjudgmental characteristics; consistent and personalized social/emotional support and advocacy; and strength and interest based strategies for intervention to reverse underachievement. These results underscore the critical effectiveness of mentorships on underachievement regardless of age, environment, and socioeconomic background. Implications of the findings are presented that highlight the successful features of the mentor-protege relationship.
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