P21 Self-Perceived Benefits of a Summer Criminal Justice Internship on Factors of Retention in an African American Male College Student

There are few strategies found in the literature that are successful at increasing the retention rate of African American male college students at predominately white institutions of higher learning. Research suggests that factors such as faculty mentorships, extracurricular activities, and financial, academic, and social support may influence an increase in retention and graduation rate in African American male students. This student will discuss how the experiences of a summer internship in his specific major of criminal justice at Juvenile Court increased and superseded those factors and increased his determination to graduate from college.