This study focuses on how first-generation college students understand their first-generation identity in relation to their other multiple identities. Through photovoice methodology, students demonstrate the meaning making of being first-generation college students related to their other social identities. This study discusses four themes: (a)…

Given pandemic restrictions on learning and research, autoethnography has recently garnered renewed attention as a potential alternative. Drawing on our experiences as instructor and student, we make the case that autoethnography is not only relevant to pandemic-era teaching but could also offer an effective pedagogical tool to critically engage…

As first-generation college students continue to make up sizable populations on college campuses (RTI International, 2021a), a better understanding of their unique experiences is needed. As research has shown the effectiveness of internship experiences on post-college outcomes (Blau et al., 2021), first-generation college students may have the…

This qualitative study aims to establish a knowledge base and learn about the experience of first-generation transfer students who have completed their Associate in Art (AA) degree from a community college and have transitioned to a four-year public university. The study aims to examine first-generation transfer students' sense of belonging and…

The Latinx population in the United States has drastically increased over the last twenty years. During the same period, the number of first-generation Latinx students enrolling in higher education post-recession has also increased by as much as 1.5 million students. The expansion of the Latinx student population in Oregon has mirrored the…

There is a lack of significant literature that highlights the lives of students who identify as Black women who are also first-generation college students. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the impact higher education has on the development of the sense of self of first-generation Black women. More specifically, this study sought…

As more Latinx First Generation College Students (LFGCS) attend college, they can face a cultural, academic, and social university context that focuses on individuality and competitiveness that may differ from their own cultural values of communality and cooperation. In this dissertation, I used Community Cultural Wealth and Latinx Critical Race…

This research explored the concepts of Sense of Belonging and Campus Cultural Capital among first-generation transfer students who were accepted to attend the EOP Transfer Bridge Program in 2018 and 2019. The methodology employed for this study was a transformative and mixed methods design that utilized the lens of Student Validation and Critical…

First-generation (FG) college students (i.e., those for whom neither parent/guardian obtained a bachelor's degree) experience more barriers in college, compared with continuing-generation students. These barriers are compounded by subtle messages from instructors that convey the idea that natural talent is necessary for success in scientific…

There has been a continuous increase in higher education enrollment of first-generation college students. This is a positive pattern, but what is concerning, is the plethora of research regarding obstacles that these students encounter, including college acceptance and degree completion (Roksa et al., 2018; Ishitani, 2006). While 30% of doctoral…

The prospect of a college degree can be daunting to many. Even more so for many that lack financial security or emotional support from friends or family. First-generation students can feel this as well with no experiences to refer to, like an older sibling or parent that have been through this situation. Although I personally have not been…

Informed by interviews with administrators, faculty, and students at the University of North Texas (UNT) this case study explores how a public four-year institution and designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), sets a powerful example for leveraging data to improve student outcomes for all. This research shares insights from UNT's efforts to…

The first year of college is a critical time for students, as their early experiences can determine the path of their educational journey. Students are most at-risk for dropping out of college during their first year, and first-generation students have higher rates of departure than their continuing-generation peers. Student engagement, sense of…

Utilizing interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), this study describes how the phenomenon of hope is experienced by six first-generation college students at South Texas Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), how student affairs contributed to that hope, and how these students understood the spaces on a college campus relative to their…

First-generation college students (FGCS) comprise of over half of the U.S. higher education student population, yet have considerably lower academic attainment rates compared to non-FGCS. Research has explored challenges that may attribute to these academic disparities, however, there remains a critical gap in identifying FGCS assets that may…