The principles of diversity and inclusion are valued across the higher education sector, but the ways in which these principles are translated into pedagogic practice are not always evident. Students who are first in their family to attend university continue to report barriers to full participation in university life. They are more likely to…

Universities have increasingly adopted "first-generation status" as a new category for addressing equity in higher education, especially in the UK and Australia. This category targets students whose parents do not have a university degree and therefore are "newcomers" to higher education. While the category is well-intentioned,…

The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the experiences of first-generation Latina doctoral students through their educational journey. Included in this dissertation were Latina doctoral students who identified as Mexican-American, were first generation students and attended the doctoral program part time. Each participant was still in…

First-generation African American students often find it challenging transitioning from high school to college. Despite facing challenges, many of these students enroll and persist to degree attainment. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of first-generation African American college students at PWIs. This qualitative,…

First-generation college (FGC) students make up a majority of college campuses (NCES, 2018). FGC students face barriers that may affect their academic persistence in college (Darling & Scandlyn-Smith, 2007; Pascarella et al., 2012; Schelbe et al., 2019). Catholic colleges and universities have a distinct mandate to serve FGC students but…

When compared to Blacks, Asians, and Whites, Latinxs have lower rates of educational attainment at every level from secondary education to advanced postsecondary degrees (Ryan and Bauman 2016). This study focuses on Latinx first generation college students and uses Yosso's Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) theory to illuminate the ways this…

This qualitative descriptive study explored how first-generation college students (FGCS) describe their academic help-seeking (AHS) processes at a large first-generation college student serving university in Southern California. FGCS are less likely to retain than their counterparts and can benefit from support with academic help-seeking. This…

In this study, I focus on the personal experiences of Latinx students who have attended San Francisco Bay Area public high schools. My research illuminates the positive and negative experiences within the public school system for Latinx, allowing students to have a voice and share their truth. I conducted used semi-structured interviews, focus…

Academic advisors are an integral part of the undergraduate college student experience. Primarily recognized as one of the first connections to an institution that a college student encounters, academic advisors provide students with guidance, support, resources, and mentorship throughout a student's academic journey at the institution. Although…

Identity is multidimensional and intertwined in every aspect our perception of self and how we interact in the world around us. A greater sense of awareness and understanding of our identity brings about purpose and meaning to our lives. However, individuals who are unaware of their identity are prone to disruptions in their development. This…

This study explored the phenomenon of thriving among Latinx first-generation college students. Using Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) and Yosso's (2006) community cultural wealth perspective, I used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to center the counternarratives of 8 thriving Latinx students from 5 different colleges. Each participant…

First-generation college students are the first in their families to pursue postsecondary education. As a result, they may lack the information and resources to navigate the college process and its transitions. More research is needed on how focusing on first-generation students' strengths can inform programs and support to assist with the…

This phenomenological study examined the career development experiences of senior-level first-generation low-income (FGLI) traditional undergraduate students enrolled in a state-funded support program at a northeast public university. The study utilized one-on-one interviews and focus groups to collect data. Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent et…

Considerable research has been conducted on the incremental or individual influences of cognitive skills, self-regulated learning skills, and attitudes toward education on the success of learners in many levels of educational inquiry. In addition, much work has been focused on predicting student success in the first year of college, or examining…

4-H is the largest positive youth development organization in the United States and is implemented by the land grant university system. To achieve program expansion, the century-old organization will need to recruit and retain millions more youth that reflect their increasingly diversified communities. Higher education has also worked to recruit…