Although there is an abundance of literature in the domain of education research on Latinx populations, this body of research seldom includes the voices of the researchers themselves. In this paper, we explore our educational journeys at a top university in the United States. Utilizing a phenomenological case study, "plática," and…

Improved access to higher education can reduce social and economic inequality only if universities achieve equality in graduation rates of different groups of students. Concerned about first year failures among first-generation students, a university in Chile devised a between-semesters course intended to allow failed students to remain with their…

This article details the creation of the Finding Your Place Podcast. Key features of the podcast are presented, including the way it features student producers documenting their college experiences. The theoretical underpinnings of the podcast are explored along with key features of sound-only storytelling, making it an effective way to reach…

The Maine Community College System is providing this letter in accordance with 20-A MRSA §10013. This law requires the Maine Community College System (MCCS), University of Maine System (UMS), and Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) to provide the following information about first-generation college students by January 15th of each year: (1) data…

In highly marketised higher education systems, massification has afforded greater access, particularly for first-in-generation students. Generally, this expansion has been fuelled by neoliberal ideologies that valorise the notion of choice and promise of social mobility. In this study, using interviews with 25 first-generation students, the issue…

Enrollment practitioners can learn important lessons from first-generation students who successfully navigated the path to college, lessons that enable them to tailor outreach efforts to this important population. A study by one of the authors (Holliday 2020) explored the identity of first-generation students as the deciders, or the primary…

An urban, Black high school population share their experiences of a college preparatory counseling group specific to prospective first-generation college students (PFGCS). The salience of help seeking, as a major theme in this study, is highlighted and explored according to Black, first-generation college going students. Participant experiences…

First-generation, Pell-eligible Latinas are a growing population in higher education, yet their completion rates are lower than their peers and a deficit mindset dominates the literature about this group. This qualitative case study was meant to understand self-identified first-generation, Pell-eligible Latina students' experiences with academic…

This narrative inquiry qualitative study analyzed eleven community cultural wealth (CCW) capitals (cultural strength and assets) to determine whether they were utilized by first generation Mexican American students to thrive in their trajectories from high school to elite universities. The 11 explored capitals--"academic,"…

The purpose of this narrative research study was to explore the experiences of first-generation African American women who transfer to a predominately White institution. More specifically, this study focused on Black women students' ability to succeed while navigating against dominant majoritarian views and negative stereotypes while attending a…

The present study sought to examine unique challenges that first-generation Latino male students (FGLMs) face, along with contributing factors that helped to shape their college experience when adjusting to two community colleges in southern California. The selected institutions were large community colleges located in urban settings within Los…

First-generation college student success is a matter of significance to college leaders across the United States. According to a recent study, over half of all undergraduate students are first-generation (RTI International, 2019). The problem, however, is that first-generation college students are more likely than continuing-generation students to…

Latinx students are pursuing college at historically high rates; however, completion rates for this population are not keeping pace. With these students disproportionately attending community colleges, 2-year college leaders are striving to break down barriers and identify support systems that increase Latinx student success. Two factors found to…

Research indicates that mental health issues are highly prevalent among college students (e.g., American College Health Association, 2018) and that first-generation students could be a higher risk of experiencing psychological distress compared to continuing-generation college students (House et al., 2019). Research also documents approximately…

Earning a bachelor's degree has been documented as a potential social equalizer in American society. Yet, it has also been documented that first-generation college students (FGCS) have incongruently accessed and earned college degrees. This phenomenon has potentially perpetuated life-long differences in social outcomes in American society. As…