This study investigated the influence of previous education and professional experience on psychology graduate students' mental well-being. An online survey collected information regarding student demographic information, depression symptoms (PHQ-9), anxiety symptoms (GAD-7), resiliency (BRCS), and an attitude survey about seeking mental health…

This study examined the concepts of career preparation and the lives post-sport of retired former collegiate swimmers. Swimming is a sport that has next to no opportunities to compete professionally, meaning that all swimmers must undergo career preparation and transition into full-time careers once their eligibility has expired. This study was…

Autistic people have issues with social skills, behavior, and communication (American Psychological Association, 2013) and have significant hurdles to sustained, paid employment (Hendricks & Wehman, 2009). Autistic people are often unemployed or underemployed; they work fewer hours and earn less money than neurotypical people and peers with…

Bullying is widely prevalent in the US. Although anti-bullying laws have been implemented across the country since 1999, bullying prevalence rates remain high. Research suggests that being a bully or a bully victim or both makes an individual more likely to experience worse physical, mental, and financial health. This dissertation comprises of…

This dissertation consists of three papers. In each paper, I use applied econometric methods to study the interaction between immigration policy and the postsecondary policy. The findings offer insights about how immigration policy can influence the education outcomes of undocumented individuals. In my first paper, I explore the effect on…

The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study will be to explore the relationship between stressors and mental health, the impact mental health has on grade point average (GPA), and determine if stressors and mental health moderate GPA for doctoral students during a pandemic. There is evidence that stress impacts mental health and school…

The problem addressed in this study was the lack of retention of women in upper-level leadership positions in higher education institutions. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore mentoring throughout career progression for women in upper-level leadership positions in higher education institutions and their current…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disability with a rising prevalence rate. Literature reveals that individuals with ASD often lack independence in life skills and are consistently underrepresented in employment. This mixed-methods study elicited the perspectives of and experiences in life skills education and employment…

Current research suggests higher education non-academic personnel staff need more opportunities to advance into leadership. This represents a lost opportunity as they often represent a vital but unheard voice in university settings and may be exacerbated on campuses that bear the R1 designation. One possible opportunity to address this may be…

This research attempted to determine whether faculty instructors' employment status played a role in the success of students who are not college ready. The purpose of this study was to determine whether developmental English faculty instructors' employment status had an effect on grades in a freshman composition course (English 101) among…

Teacher turnover is an issue not only in the state of Idaho but across the nation. This study examined the attrition outcomes of 6,572 beginning teachers in Idaho that were trained in one of four types of teacher preparation programs and started teaching between the 2014-15 and 2019- 20 school years. Teachers in the ABCTE preparation program were…

Numerous offenders are incarcerated in the United States. Many of these offenders will eventually be released without receiving any additional education or vocational training. The purpose of this mixed-method research study was to explore the lived experiences of (31) offenders who completed a GED/Vocational correctional education program,…

Belonging has been studied for decades with many researchers concluding that humans have an inherent need to belong. Although each person's level of need to belong differs, it is a deeply rooted human motivation that impacts a person's feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Individuals develop a sense of belonging when they feel connected to others.…

The Saudi government recently emphasized creative thinking in the education context to change the country's economy from an oil-based economy to a mindset-based economy (Vision 2030, n.d.). On the other hand, the recent version of the challenges in Saudi K-12 education indicates that significant obstacles impede the promotion of creative thinking.…

The quest for tertiary education by citizens has led to an unabated increase in undergraduate students' enrollment in Nigerian universities. It is disheartening that this increase has not been matched with the expected provision of residential housing or hostels and other infrastructural facilities necessary for students' career growth, success,…