University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Pursuing the educational dream—the second-year Latino community college experience: students’ perceptions of the social, cultural, academic and internal experiences that influence persistence

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Pursuing the educational dream—the second-year Latino community college experience: students’ perceptions of the social, cultural, academic and internal experiences that influence persistence

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Content Running head: PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 1
Copyright 2017 Jessica Santos

Pursuing the Educational Dream–the Second-Year Latino Community College Experience:
Students’ Perceptions of the Social, Cultural, Academic and Internal Experiences that Influence
Persistence

by

Jessica Santos

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2017

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 2

Dedication
This dissertation is dedicated to my daughter, Madylen. You have and continue to be
such a blessing in my life. Thank you for your heartwarming smile, your endless love and
infinite joy that you provided during this challenging, yet rewarding time.
My sweet darling, “I’ve got you.”

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 3

Acknowledgments
To my family, thank you for being my “rock.” Without your unconditional love and
support, I could have never made it through this process. Thank you for your words of
encouragement and unwavering faith in my abilities. To my mother and father, I kept my word,
above and beyond a Bachelor’s degree and I know you are very proud.
Dr. Julie Slayton, thank you for embarking on this journey with me and supporting my
persistence. There is so much that I have learned through my own lessons of struggle during this
educational journey, but most of all I learned to “trust the process.” Thank you for challenging
me, providing me the space to grow and develop, and most importantly for your unconditional
guidance and support.
Thank you to Dr. Artineh Samkian and Dr. Zoe Corwin for your time, dedication, insight
and support throughout this process, I appreciate you both.
To the students who participated in this study and my friends in the Latino community,
thank you for welcoming me into your lives and sharing your experiences, and your stories. I am
humbled and honored to have been afforded such an incredible and life-changing experience.
Thank you for being a daily inspiration in my life. I hope that our work will benefit your
community.
To Dr. Aaron Thompson, thank you for being the driving force in my decision to embark
on this journey. Thank you for continued professional mentorship and the scholarly leadership
with my research and dissertation. Your guidance, insight and continued support throughout this
process has been an invaluable resource.
To my friends, mentors, teachers, and colleagues, thank you for your endless love and
encouragement.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 4

And thank you to my past, present and future students for igniting a fire and passion to
provide a space for your unique and valuable voices to be heard. Trust the process. Enjoy the
journey. Always believe in you.

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 5

Table of Contents
List of Figures 7
Abstract 8
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 9
Background of the Problem 10
Statement of the Problem 11
Purpose of the Study 12
Significance of the Study 12
Definitions of Terms 13
Organization of the Study 14
Chapter Two: Literature Review 15
An Overview of Persistence Theory 15
Tinto’s College Retention Theory of Student Integration 16
Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement 20
Bean and Metzner’s Theory of Non-Traditional Student Attrition 24
An Overview of Empirical Literature on Persistence 27
College Persistence 27
Community College Persistence 33
General Persistence in Community College 33
Latino Community College Persistence 41
Community College Persistence in Other Historically
Marginalized Groups 60
Conceptual Framework 65
Personal Factors 67
Environmental Factors 68
Lessons of Struggle and Pedagogies of Survival 69
Conclusion 71
Chapter Three: Methods 72
Research Design 72
Sample and Population 74
Site Selection 75
Participant Selection 76
Instrumentation and Data Collection Procedures 77
Interviews 77
Data Analysis Procedures 80
Limitations and Delimitations 82
Credibility and Trustworthiness 83
Ethics 84
Conclusion 84
Chapter Four: Analysis 85
Finding 1: Relationships with Faculty and Staff 87
Theme 1: Significant Faculty Engagement Inside the Classroom 89
Theme 2: Faculty Relationships Outside of the Classroom 96
Theme 3: Staff Relationships 103
Finding 2: Connections to Similarly Situated Peers 107
Theme 1: Affiliation with Latino Peers 108
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 6

Theme 2: Involvement for Connection with Peers 111
Theme 3: Connections to Peers Facing Similar Family Dynamics 116
Theme 4: Student Connections with Similar Goals 117
Finding 3: Students Accessed Outsides Resources 122
Finding 4: Problem Solving 126
Theme 1: Problem Solving Related to Academic Success 127
Sub-Theme 1: Overcoming Behaviors 128
Sub-Theme 2: Advocacy for Academic Resources 130
Theme 2: Taking Advantage of Resources 138
Finding 5: Lessons of Struggle and Pedagogies of Survival 146
Theme 1: Experiences of the Family 147
Theme 2: Socio-Cultural Conflict in Home Environment 179
Theme 3: Experiences – Personally of the Student 190
Conclusion 214
Chapter Five: Discussion 218
Implications and Recommendations 222
Implications and Recommendations for Practice and Policy 222
Implications and Recommendations for Research 226
Conclusion 227
References 228
Appendices 238
Appendix A: Individual Interview Protocol – First Interview 238
Appendix B: Individual Interview Protocol – Second Interview 243
Appendix C: Informed Consent 249

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 7

List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework 70

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 8

Abstract
Latino students who decide to pursue higher education are more likely than any other
group to attend community colleges (Crisp & Nora, 2010; Fry, 2002; Kurleander, 2006). One of
the greatest challenges community colleges face is keeping Latino students enrolled.
Community colleges serve over 57% of the Latino students (IPED, 2014). Of the first-time, full-
time students who started at a community college in 2010, only 19.5% of them earned a
certificate or a degree within 3 years (NCES, 2014). Longevity and retention are additional
identified challenges, with only 11.7% of Latino students attaining an associate’s degree, after
attending a community college for 6 years (Radfored, Berkner, Wheeless, & Shepard, 2010).
This dissertation addresses the lack of research on second-year Latino community college
students and what they perceive contributes to their ability to persist. This multi-case study
examined interviews from 6 second-year Latino community college students and resulted in
qualitative data that revealed personal and environmental factors that students perceived to be
influential in their ability to persist. This study suggests that by focusing on those factors that the
students identified as being influential, community colleges can more actively engage and
support the students, using their perceptions, on a path of persistence. Further, this dissertation
recommends additional research on each of the identified factors and how these factors influence
the success of the Latino community college student.

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 9

CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study was to examine second-year Latino community college
students’ perceptions of the experiences they believe have contributed to their ability to persist
through to their second year. The study focused on second-year Latino community college
students because second-year Latino community college students are important to U.S. higher
education institutions for several reasons. Currently more than two-thirds of the jobs within the
United States require an education beyond high school (NCES, 2014). Latinos are the second
fastest growing population in the United States (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2016) and the
persistence of this population through degree attainment could have considerable economic
implications for the economy (Santos, 2004). Gandara (2005) revealed the possible benefits for
our economy in equipping Latinos with a college education.
In order to equip Latino students with a college education, it is essential to understand the
factors that contribute to their ability to persist. Little research focuses on why Latino students
persist from first-year to second-year in relation to their experiences and even less research
examines these students in the community college context. By identifying these factors,
community colleges can increase the likelihood of persistence and support students through
degree attainment. Therefore, drawing from student integration, student involvement, and
student attrition theories, this study proposed to examine second-year Latino students’
perceptions of the experiences they believe have contributed to their ability to persist. The
remainder of this chapter provides the background of the problem, the statement of the problem,
the purpose of the study, its significance, and the organization of the remainder of the
dissertation.

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 10

Background of the Problem
Currently, more than 17.5% or 56.6 million of the U.S. population is Latino and by 2060,
this number will grow to 28.6% or 119 million (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2016).
Community colleges are the gateway to postsecondary education for many minority, low income,
and first-generation students because of their open-admissions policy, affordability, and
accessibility (Teranishi, Suárez-Orozco, & Suárez-Orozco, 2011). In addition, due to their open
access, Latino community college students entering these institutions are often associated with
low persistence, success rates and retention (Tovar, 2015). Latinos who pursue postsecondary
education have a greater likelihood of attending community college than any other group (Crisp
& Nora, 2010; Fry, 2002; Kurleander, 2006). Of the Latinos who attend college directly after
high school, 48% enroll in community colleges (Pew Research Center, 2016).
Community colleges serve 57% of Latino students (IPED, 2014). While the number of
students enrolled continues to increase, the rates of degree holders remains minimally
unchanged. One of the greatest challenges that community colleges face is keeping Latino
students enrolled. Research suggest that Latino’s have an over-representation in community
colleges versus 4-year colleges and universities, however the over-representation does not mean
degree attainment for Latino’s (AACC, 2012; O’Connor, 2009). Achievement gaps for 4-year
institutions in comparison to community colleges remains unbalanced in the completion of
baccalaureate degrees (Carolan-Silva & Reyes, 2013; D’Amico, Dika, Elling, Algozzine, &
Ginn, 2014; Stuart, Rios-Aguilar, & Deil-Amen, 2014). Of the first-time, full-time students who
started at a community college in 2010, only 19.5% of them earned a certificate or a degree
within 3 years (NCES, 2014). In addition, longevity and retention are identified challenges, with
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 11

only 11.7% of Latino students attaining an associate’s degree, after attending a community
college for 6 years (Radfored, Berkner, Wheeless, & Shepard, 2010).
Significant research exists on Latino students, however, few studies have focused on the
personal experiences of Latino students in relation to the need for social and cultural capital and
the influence of their environment on persistence (Nunez, Sparks, & Hernandez, 2011; Tovar,
2015).
Statement of the Problem
Community colleges are often the primary choice for Latino students who graduate from
high school and seek to continue their educations. In comparison to other groups, Latinos enroll
in college at a rate of 35%, compared to 33% of Blacks, 42% White, 65% of Asian (NCES,
2015). When comparing Latino enrollment in community colleges versus 4-year colleges,
Latino’s enrolled in community colleges at a rate of 56% versus 29%, compared to 44% versus
29% of Blacks, 39% versus 39% of Whites, and 40% versus 43% of Asians (NCES, 2014).
Community colleges enroll approximately 50% of the Latino students in higher
education. This number continues to increase each year (Fry, 2002; Suarez, 2003). Moreover,
Latino students are the least likely to persist to graduation in community colleges. Less than a
quarter of Latino students who begin in community colleges actually transfer to a 4-year
institution, despite their intent to transfer (Fry, 2004).
Community colleges tend to enroll more underprepared students than universities (Fike
& Fike, 2008). In addition, first-generation students tend to be more concentrated in 2-year
colleges and first-generation students in comparison with non-first-generation students tend to
have lower retention rates (Thayer, 2000). Latino students tend to be financially disadvantaged
(Kurlaender, 2006) and they are the most poorly educated group of students entering community
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 12

college (Fry, 2002). One of the primary predictors of persistence for Latino community college
students is college readiness (Arbona & Nora, 2007). In addition, National Center for Education
Statistics (2001) identified seven characteristics that were influential to the persistence of
community college students. Those characteristics included primary language, 2-year institution
type, desired degree and attainment, enrollment status (full-time or part time), employment,
academic preparedness, and employment. Yet, while we have some insight into what factors
predict their persistence, we have very little insight into what Latino students believe contributes
to their ability to persist.
Additionally, as enrollment rates for Latinos into colleges and universities continues to
increase, ensuring graduation and success rates is essential for Latino’s to contribute to the labor
force. Acknowledging the contributions of Latinos to the welfare of future process and will have
significant impact on the labor market within the United States (Arciniega, 2012).
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the experiences of second-
year community college students and what they believed enabled them to persist. Specifically, I
focused on what second-year Latino community college students believed had contributed to
their ability to persist from their first-year through their second-year.
The research question addressed in this dissertation was:
What experiences do second-year Latino community college students believe contribute
to their ability to persist?
Significance of the Study
Latinos are the second fastest growing population in the United States (U.S. Department
of Commerce, 2016). In addition to being the fastest growing population, the majority of Latino
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 13

students begin their educational endeavors in 2-year institutions (Crisp & Nora, 2010; Fry, 2002;
Kurlaender, 2006) and the success of the Latino population educationally influences the success
of the nation’s economy and the workforce.
Additionally, a gap in the literature exists concerning persistence in education among
second-year Latino community college students. This study can contribute to our understanding
of what enables some Latino students to remain in school while many of their peers are unable to
do so. It will provide insights from their point of view. Information about second-year Latino
community college students who have persisted from first-year may provide insight regarding
factors related to persistence and factors contributing to underrepresentation in higher education.
In addition, literature is necessary to offer scholarship regarding success and persistence for
Latino community college students, provided the significance of well-educated citizenry
(Carolan-Silva & Reyes, 2013). Data could provide valuable information towards the
development of policy, practice, and programs to support Latino community college students and
support their education to persistence and have positive effects on the nation’s economy and
workforce (Tovar, 2015).
Definitions of Terms
The following operational definitions are utilized throughout the study:
First-generation college student: A student whose parents did not enroll or graduate from college
(Nunez, 2009).
Latino: The United States government in 1997 adopted the term Latino that replaced the single
term Hispanic. The change was reflective of the regional usage – Hispanic is commonly used in
the eastern portion of the United States, whereas Latino is commonly used in the western portion
of the United States (The White House, 1997).
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 14

Dropout: A student who has left before graduating (NCES, 2005).
Persistence: Academic persistence is continued enrollment from one quarter to the next
(Sheffield, 2011). For the purposes of this study, persistence is defined as continued enrollment
for two years.
Postsecondary Education: A level of formal education designed for students beyond high school
(NCES, 2012).
Organization of the Study
The first chapter offers an introduction and background of the problem. It provides the
context for second-year Latino community college students and education. Additionally, the
chapter provides implications for persistence and achievement in education.
Chapter 2 provides a literature review of the problem. The chapter examines the
literature on theories of student integration, theories of student involvement, and theories of
nontraditional student attrition.
Chapter 3 presents the methods for the study, including research design, population and
sampling procedure, and the instruments and their selection and development. Additionally, the
chapter includes the process for establishing validity and reliability and data collection
procedures and the process for data analysis.
Chapter 4 provides the findings of the study. It presents themes that emerged from each
case. It includes single-case and cross-case analysis of each case through the lens of the
conceptual framework.
Chapter 5 summarizes the findings and discusses the implications and recommendations
for the study.

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 15

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

The research question for this study asked: What experiences do second-year Latino
community college students believe contribute to their ability to persist? To answer this research
question, I drew from theory and research focused on college student persistence. I drew first
from the broader literature examining college student persistence in general. I then narrowed to
focus more specifically on the experiences of community college students, and finally I focused
on the experiences of Latino community college students. I followed this approach because the
broader literature provides insights into those factors that influence or affect persistence in
general. These factors are relevant to Latino community college students. Moreover, very little
research examined the experiences of community college students and even less literature
focused exclusively on the experiences of Latino students in community college contexts. Thus,
in addition to examining the experiences of Latino community college students, I extended my
exploration to other historically marginalized student populations. I did this because it is highly
likely that Latino students face similar challenges to those of other historically marginalized
student populations, and it is possible to draw from that research to inform my approach to
answering the research question I sought to answer.
This chapter is organized as follows: I present theory related to college persistence. Then
I turn my attention to persistence specifically in the context of community college. Finally, I
offer research that focused on community college persistence for Latino and other historically
marginalized student populations. I conclude with my conceptual framework.
An Overview of Persistence Theory
The educational persistence literature provided insight into the factors that influence or
shape students’ ability to navigate educational barriers and transitions so that they are able to
obtain their educational goals (e.g., certificates, degrees). Many theorists have weighed in on
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 16

college persistence (e.g., Metz, 2004; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1980; Spady, 1970). After closely
examining the work of Astin (1984), Bean and Metzner (1985), and Tinto (1975, 1993, 2012), I
focused on these theorists in particular. I made this choice because other theorists draw from
these foundational voices and only offer slight variations on these theories, rather than providing
new or additional insights. I present Tinto’s (1975, 1993, 2012) retention theory of student
integration first and then move to Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement (1984). Then I turn
my attention to Bean and Metzner’s Theory of Nontraditional Student Attrition (1985). After I
present these theories, I offer empirical work that employed these theories in order to understand
student persistence.
Tinto’s College Retention Theory of Student Integration
Tinto defined persistence as the ability to remain in college through completion of a
degree or certificate and departure as the student’s departure from college before completion of a
degree or certificate. In an effort to explain the phenomenon of student departure and to identify
those factors that contribute to the process of student departure, Tinto offered the Theory of
Student Integration (1975, 1993, 2012). This theory offered a holistic understanding of the
characteristics and experiences of community college students and provided insight into their
ability to persist from first to second year and avoid departure.
Tinto (1975, 1993) asserted and proposed that college students’ retention, persistence,
and social and academic integration is the product of the interaction between a particular set of
student characteristics and experiences. Tinto (1975, 1993) identified these background
characteristics and experiences as attributes (e.g., sex, race, and ability), precollege experiences
(e.g., grade point average and social attainment), family backgrounds (e.g., social economic
status, expectancy, and value climates), commitment to the institution, and differentiating goals
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 17

of educational attainment. The identification of these characteristics and experiences provided
measurable variances among students, which is important in understanding the student
holistically and his/her ability to persist through completion.
Tinto (1975) identified the process of academic and social acculturation and integration
into the institution as a part of the students’ experiences that contribute to their persistence. He
suggested that academic integration is essential for persistence at the 2-year level. To fulfill this
process of integration, Tinto (1975) suggested that a student must go through three stages:
separation, transition, and incorporation. Tinto described separation as the student’s ability to
disassociate him/herself from his/her past interpersonal relationships (e.g., family and high
school peers). Transition occurred after the process of separation and was the transitional period
in which a student disassociated him/herself, but had yet to associate him/herself with a new
norm and integrate him/herself into the new environment. When the student had adopted the
norms of his/her college or university into his/her life, he/she had fulfilled the third stage of
incorporation. Tinto (1975) advised that completion of all three stages of integration did not
guarantee persistence and were dependent on student characteristics as previously discussed.
Tinto (1993) stated that in the context of persistence, involvement mattered and
involvement was the driving force behind social and academic integration. Tinto (1998) asserted
that involvement played the most significant role during a student’s first year. Tinto (1998)
focused on the fact that different academic settings (e.g., community colleges, 4-year
institutions) provided varying levels of academic and social integration opportunities and
different formats (e.g., inside the classroom, outside of the classroom, and student organizations).
Tinto (1997) used the terms involvement, interaction, academic involvement, and experiences
interchangeably to represent those interactions inside of the classroom between students and
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 18

faculty and students and their peers.
Tinto (1993) emphasized the important role that interactions between students and faculty
played in student persistence. Tinto (1993) argued that these interactions both inside and outside
of the classroom, amongst peers and between students and faculty, needed to be positive for
students to persist. Additionally, Tinto (1993) recognized that the quality of the student’s effort
was related to the quality of the interactions the student had with faculty and other students.
Tinto (1997) focused on the idea of classrooms as communities. He identified
classrooms as the nucleus of the educational activity structure and argued that the interactions
within these classrooms played a major role in the student’s experience. Tinto (1997) affirmed
the value of interactions inside of the classroom for community college students who commuted,
because unlike non-commuter students, they were often not afforded time for interactions outside
of the classroom. Tinto (1997) asserted that the interactions inside of the classroom for
community college commuter students might be the only place where students and faculty
interacted and that if academic and social integration was going to occur for these students, it had
to happen inside the classroom. He suggested that students were more likely to seek out much-
needed support systems if they were more involved academically and socially with peers, staff,
and faculty at their institution (Tinto, 2012).
In addition to arguing that student-faculty interactions contributed to students’ ability to
persist, he also suggested that there was a relationship between students’ experiences and
interactions with their campus environment and their ability to persist. Thus, Tinto (2012)
included the influence of the institution on student persistence. He not only extended the factors
that influenced persistence to include the role of the institution, he also shifted the degree of
influence from students’ characteristics to the way the institution implemented policies and took
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 19

action to promote persistence to degree completion. He argued that the actions undertaken by
the institution either promoted or impeded student success and often resulted in disconnected and
uncoordinated plans of action to combat issues of student persistence and did not foster student
involvement in all contexts (inside and outside of the classroom).
For an institution to promote student persistence, the institution had to foster involvement
and engagement and align these policies and conditions to meet the needs of the students.
Additionally, Tinto (2012) argued that the institution had to make an effort to provide policies
that promoted involvement in the terms of what opportunities for involvement were available to
students. He focused on expectations, support, assessment, feedback, and involvement to
promote student success and persistence. In examining expectations, Tinto (2012) explored the
significance of self-expectations and the impact these expectations had on student success.
Furthermore, Tinto (2012) acknowledged the role the institution played in the development of
self-expectations. He asserted that if the expectations were high, then the student would rise to
those expectations, whereas if the expectations were low, this welcomed failure.
Tinto emphasized the role academic, social, and in some cases, financial support played
in student success. As with integration, he stressed that the most critical time for student support
was during the first year, as this was the time that students had a greater likelihood of being
responsive to interventions provided by the institution (2012). Furthermore, Tinto (2012) stated
that the most significant place for support to occur was inside the classroom, where students
could build on their success with the completion of each course.
For assessment and feedback, Tinto (2012) offered that it was the role of the institution to
promote and foster student success by assessing performance and providing feedback frequently.
Tinto (2012) asserted that if institutions required assessment and feedback and identified these
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 20

methods of support for the students as imperative in student success, that individuals within the
institution (e.g., faculty and staff) would follow suit and engage in behaviors that promoted and
fostered student success.
Additionally, Tinto (2012) reiterated the importance of involvement as previously
discussed. Tinto (2012) asserted that when all four conditions of expectations, support,
assessment and feedback and involvement were met, the student had a greater likelihood of
persistence. He advised that if one of the conditions was absent, then this influenced the efficacy
of the other conditions. While the students had freedom in making their own educational
decisions, much of the circumstances that surrounded these conditions rested on the institutions,
therefore, he emphasized the institution’s role in student success.
Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement
Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement (1984), focused on the 4-year college student and
defined involvement as the quantity of physical and psychological energy the student dedicated
to his/her academic achievements. Examples of involvement included a student who committed
time to his/her studies, was an active participant in student organizations and activities on-
campus, and interacted with faculty and staff on a frequent basis. Conversely, a student who
lacked involvement devoted less time to his/her studies, had minimal interactions with faculty
and staff, and participated infrequently in on-campus activities. Astin identified a close
resemblance between the Freudian concept of cathexis, the concept that psychologically people
devote energy to outside commitments and focused externally and not internally, and the concept
of involvement (1984). Astin emphasized that student involvement was not focused on what the
student thought or felt, but more on how he/she behaved. The theory took the approach of
examining how the student developed and not what the student developed. Astin preferred the
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 21

term involvement to imply that involvement is a behavioral manifestation (1984). Therefore, the
concept of how a student developed was based on his/her behavior. Furthermore, the Theory of
Student Involvement (1984) asserted that the focus in the classroom was on the student’s
learning process and less on instruction.
Astin identified five hypotheses concerning student involvement. The first hypothesis
was that involvement is on a spectrum of degrees from general-to-specific. This hypothesis was
significant because it represented the varying degrees to which a college student was involved.
A student who was involved in school inside and outside the classroom would be representative
of general involvement, whereas a student who was involved inside the classroom for academic
purposes only would be representative of specific involvement. Second, contextual involvement
existed along a continuum and students applied varying degrees of involvement to objects or
tasks. The third hypothesis was that involvement included features that were quantitative and
qualitative. In other words, it was possible to capture involvement in terms of both frequency of
involvement as well as the quality of their involvement. Fourth, the amount of learning
experienced by the student within an educational program was directly relatable to the amount
and quality of his/her involvement. Therefore, when a student was highly involved and involved
in substantive ways, the student was likely to learn more than the student who was not
significantly involved, and/or was involved in very superficial ways. Fifth, if an educational
policy that targeted college persistence or student success was successful then involvement
would increase (1984). He suggested that a policy should be supportive of student involvement
and should consider the affect such policies might have on the effort and devotion of a student.
In consideration of the student and the effect of policies, Astin (1993) discussed the significance
of institutions promoting diversity and multiculturalism. He found that those institutions that
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 22

effectively promote diversity and multiculturalism increase retention and the motivation and
skills of a student.
Astin offered that the willingness of a student to devote energy to involvement directly
related to his/her motivation and that the terms involvement and motivation were
interchangeable. The theory identified time and effort as two factors necessary for goal
attainment and those with more time, who put forth more effort, were more involved. Astin
stated that a student’s time was the most precious resource to an institution, and that the student’s
ability to achieve his/her goals was a direct result of the time and effort he/she devoted (1984).
Additionally, Astin examined other factors (i.e., family, friends, and employment) that might
influence the amount of time, and effort a student devoted being involved, and balancing his/her
commitment to school versus his/her commitment to other objects or tasks.
While Astin explained that student involvement was the commitment a student mades to
an institution, Astin identified the significance of an institution’s commitment or lack thereof to
the student. Astin (1982), stated that public school systems had to make a more thorough effort
to serve the student who was preparing to transition to college. Furthermore, Astin (1982)
asserted that public school systems failed the minority student, in particular the underrepresented
populations, who strived to transition to college. He attributed most of the blame for the poor
foundations of minority students to inequalities within the K-12 public schools.
The Theory of Student Involvement was deeply rooted in a longitudinal study conducted
by Astin (1975) that identified factors that affected students’ persistence in college. Results of
the study were that students who persisted in college were involved and conversely, those
students who were not involved did not persist. Specifically, the study found that the most
influential environmental factor was the students’ residence. On-campus residency directly
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 23

related to retention irrespective of sex, race, ability, or family construct (Astin, 1973, 1977, 1982,
1984). Additionally, Astin offered that residential students had a greater likelihood of
developing their own identity, and a sense of attachment to their school, because they lived on-
campus. Other environmental factors that positively influenced retention included participation
in fraternities, sororities, and extracurricular activities and having a part-time job on campus.
Factors that negatively influenced retention included course boredom for men and marriage or
pregnancy for women.
Astin identified that there was a substantially greater likelihood of a student dropping out
of a 2-year college versus a 4-year college (1975). He found that faculty and student
involvement was difficult and rarely occurred at community colleges (Astin, 1975). He
attributed the lack of involvement to several factors that included that most students at
community colleges were commuters, that a significant number of students enrolled part-time,
that led to less involvement, and most faculty members at community colleges were part-time,
thus this influenced the frequency of their involvement.
In his 1975 study, Astin provided insight into understanding the phenomenon of a
students’ “fit” at an institution. Astin (1975) argued that a student’s “fit” was is his/her ability to
identify with the institution. The study found that students who attended schools with similar
backgrounds were more likely to persist. Examples included Black students, who attend Black
colleges, were more likely to persist, than if they attended a White college. Similarly, students
from small towns were more likely to persist at a campus that was relatively small in size, versus
at a larger campus. Identification directly related with a student’s satisfaction with a campus,
thus this influenced their involvement (Astin, 1975).
Astin posited that student satisfaction directly related to academic involvement, student-
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 24

faculty interaction, and involvement in extracurricular activities (1984). The amount of time a
student spent studying was relative to his/her academic involvement and positively influenced
the degree of student satisfaction. Students who interacted frequently with their faculty
members, also expressed greater student satisfaction. Additionally, students who participated in
extracurricular activities also had an increase in student satisfaction.
Bean and Metzner’s Theory of Non-Traditional Student Attrition
Bean and Metzner (1985) offered a model that explained or differentiated nontraditional
student persistence from traditional student persistence. They acknowledged the increase in
nontraditional enrollments, defined the nontraditional graduate student, and developed the
conceptual model to represent the process of attrition for this population. Bean and Metzner
acknowledged that the group of nontraditional students that had grown the most had been
nontraditional students who attended community college (1985). They started by defining the
nontraditional student as someone who was older than 24, who did not reside on-campus, was a
part-time student, or was a combination of any of these three factors, attended school for the
primary purpose of academic offerings (e.g., certificate, degree programs) and not social
influence. In contrast, Bean and Metzner (1985) defined the traditional student as 18 to 24 years
of age, who attended classes full-time, resided on-campus and attended for the primary purpose
of social influence. Bean and Metzner (1985) acknowledged that it was difficult to draw hard
line distinctions between the traditional and nontraditional student, particularly when one student
met only one of the three characteristics of a nontraditional student, as defined by Bean and
Metzner (1985). In addition, for the purposes of their model, Bean and Metzner (1985)
acknowledged difficulty in defining student attrition. They considered a dropout to be a student
who did not re-enroll the following semester, and had not made a formal declaration of his/her
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 25

chosen program of study.
Bean and Metzner (1985) identified four sets of variables that they said explained the
dropout decisions of students: academic performance (e.g., past GPA), intention to leave (which
was influenced by academic variables and psychological outcomes), background variables (e.g.,
educational goals and performance in high school), and environmental variables (e.g., finances,
hours of employment, outside encouragement, family responsibilities and opportunity to
transfer). Bean and Metzner (1985) also identified four background variables that affected the
interactions of nontraditional students with their institution: educational goals (e.g., highest level
of education student was seeking, importance of achieving goal, likelihood of completing goal),
high school performance (e.g., average in high school, class ranking, and pre-college test scores),
ethnicity and gender.
Bean and Metzner focused on the influence of environmental variables and their
relationship to the students’ decision to dropout (1985). Bean and Metzner posited that
environmental variables were more important for nontraditional students than academic variables
and when both variables were favorable, it was likely that students would stay in school.
Whereas if both variables were poor, then it was likely that students would leave school (1985).
If academic variables were favorable and environmental variables were poor, then it was likely
students would leave school, or if environmental variables were favorable, but academic support
was poor, students would remain in school, thus supporting the significance of the role of
environmental variables. Bean and Metzner (1985) suggested that examples of environmental
variables that affected students’ ability to remain in school could be found when they are unable
to pay for college (related to finances), make stable childcare arrangements (related to family
responsibilities), or had a work schedule that allowed them to attend school (related to hours of
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 26

employment). Bean and Metzner (1985) also acknowledged that if a student had strong
environmental support, but poor academic support then he/she would remain in school, this
reiterated the influence of environmental support. Furthermore, they suggested that
nontraditional students’ primary focus was on the environmental variables (e.g., finances,
employment, familial responsibilities), thus this increased the likelihood of their intent to leave
and supported the relationship between the influence of environmental variables and student
attrition (Bean & Metzner, 1985).
Bean and Metzner (1985) found that the primary difference between the attrition
processes for nontraditional and traditional students was that nontraditional students were
affected more by the environmental variables, than variables related to social integration, that
primarily affected traditional students. Bean and Metzner (1985) identified social integration
variables as the degree of participation by students in extracurricular activities, relationships on
campus with peers, relationships with staff and faculty outside of the class, and students’
satisfaction with these relationships. They also acknowledged that other responsibilities such as
family responsibilities, an environmental variable, played a more influential role in the process
of attrition of nontraditional students than social integration. Bean and Metzner (1985) found
that research did not support social integration as having a positive or significant relationship to
the persistence of nontraditional students. Due to the findings, they omitted social integration as
a primary component from their model.
Each of these theories presents a unique approach to student persistence, however, the
themes within these theories that were most useful to me in relation to my study included Tinto’s
(1975) concepts related to academic and social integration and the transformative processes a
student experiences to reach social integration for persistence. Astin’s (1984) focus on student
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 27

involvement and the concept of the quality of the involvement was significant because if the
involvement was of quality, the likelihood of the development of relationships (mentorship)
increased. Each of the theorists focused on the significance of environmental variables;
however, Bean and Metzner presented the significance of these environmental variables in
nontraditional students versus traditional students. Identifying those particular factors that
influence Latino students’ resilience was important because the identification of these factors
provided a foundation to draw from and insight on Latino students’ ability to persist.
An Overview of Empirical Literature on Persistence
In this section, I present a few of the empirical studies addressing college persistence. I
present two studies that were representative of the larger literature base. The first study
addressed African American and White student persistence, while the second study focused on
persistence for Latino students. Then I turn my attention to community college persistence for
Latino students. While higher education faculty and administrators acknowledged the
importance of understanding Latino students in community colleges, and the fact that they were
the group most likely to attend community colleges (Flores, Horn, & Crisp, 2006; McClendon,
2002). Due to the limited amount of research, that references Latino community college
students, I completed this section by including research on other historically marginalized
populations.
College Persistence
Kuh et al. (2008) studied the relationships between student behaviors and practices and
conditions on behalf of the institution that supported student success. Data used for the study
was derived from merged student-level records from varying colleges and universities to
examine the relationship between two college outcomes: academic achievement and persistence.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 28

Additionally, the researchers focused on the effects of student engagement and the outcomes of
the engagement for students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The study was guided by
two research questions:
Does engagement during the first year of college have a significant impact on first-year
grade point average and changes of returning for a second year of college, net of the
effects of student background, pre-college experiences, prior academic achievement, and
other first-year experiences?
Are the effects of engagement general or conditional? That is, do the effects of
engagement on the outcomes under study differ by such student characteristics as race
and ethnicity (for GPA and persistence) and prior academic achievement (for GPA only)?
(p. 543)
The data used for the study was collected from 18 baccalaureate-granting colleges and
universities. Eleven of the schools were Predominately White Institutions (PWIs), four were
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), and three are Hispanic Serving
Institutions (HSI’s). The breakdown of the schools participating in the study was as follows:
seven were focused solely on undergraduate education, seven were master’s granting institutions,
and four were doctoral granting institutions. Of those institutions participating in the study, 90%
or more of the first-year students lived on or near campus, six reported 75% to 89% of their first-
year students lived on or near campus, four reported between 50% and 74%, two reported
between 25% and 49%, and two institutions reported below 25%. None of the institutions
reported being exclusive commuter institutions.
Information used for the study included the background of the students, pre-college
experiences, and academic achievement. This information was collected when the students
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 29

registered for ACT or SAT exams, in response to the NSSE survey, through campus institutional
research records, and during the spring academic term. Student information from 6,193 students
was used for the study, even though more students completed the survey; however, the data sets
matching the variables being studied were incomplete.
For the purposes of the study, student engagement was represented by three measures
from the survey: time spent studying, time spent in co-curricular activities, and a global measure
of engagement based on educational practices and responses from 19 other NSSE survey items.
Additionally, to determine persistence from the first to second year in college, detailed student
course-taking records were analyzed. Students who returned to the same institution and enrolled
in one or more courses the following academic year were considered to have persisted.
Findings of the study found that the strongest influence on first-year GPA was prior
academic achievement. Student engagement was found to have minimal effects, yet statistically
significant on grades during the first year. When focused on student engagement in
educationally purposeful activities, the effects were minimal, particularly for those students who
had entered college with lower levels of academic achievement. In consideration of race and
ethnicity, the direct effects on GPA when students engaged in educationally purposeful activities
were found to effect Hispanic students resulting in a one standard deviation increase and White
students.
Overall, student engagement was found to have statistically significant effects on
persistence, when other factors such as background characteristics, academic achievement, and
financial aid were controlled. When considering race and ethnicity and student engagement in
educationally purposeful activities, Black students benefited more than White students from the
increase in his/her engagement in these activities. Researchers found that if Black students had
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 30

low engagement, they were less likely to persist than White students were. Additionally, if
Black students reached the average amount of engagement the likelihood of returning for the
second year was greater than the White students. The study did not define average amount of
engagement.
The compensatory effects of student engagement were supported in the results of the
study. Results of the study found that the relationship between student engagement in
educationally purposeful activities had a positive effect on academic outcome. Academic
achievement, as a pre-college characteristic was influential on first-year grades and persistence.
In addition, student engagement promoted persistence to the second year at the same institution.
The compensatory effects of student engagement were found to be beneficial for all, however,
the greatest effects were found in lower ability students and students of color compared with
White students. Moreover, the study stressed the role of the institution to provide meaningful,
challenging, and engaging activities for students to promote student success.
Cerna, Perez, and Saenz (2008) examined the reasons entering college freshmen from
different Latino ethnic groups cited for attending college and choosing a particular institution. In
addition, they looked at academic and career-related goals and values and how they differed
amongst different Latino ethnic groups, the most important factors that attribute to degree
attainment and forms of capital when received assist in degree attainment. Data used for the
study was derived from a longitudinal sample of 262 public and private 4-year institutions. The
selected sample of the study by Cerna et al. (2008) included 2,957 Latino college students. The
sample was comprised of 1,323 Mexican American students, 569 Puerto Rican students, and
1,065 students from all other Latino groups. Cerna et al. also sampled White students for the
purpose of comparison (2008).
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 31

The study measured the students’ degree attainment within 6 years of entering college.
Control variables included data on student demographics, institutions, and precollege variables
and forms of capital (Cerna et al., 2008). Student demographic variables consisted of
race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, status of citizenship, and native language.
Institutional variables included whether a campus was public or private, was a university or a
traditional 4-year college, percentage of Latino students enrolled and institutional selectivity.
The precollege variables and forms of capital were categorized as economic (or finance-related
variables), human (or ability-related variables), social (or network-related variables), and cultural
(or value-laden variables) (Cerna et al., 2008).
Female students overall attained degrees at higher rates than male students.
Comparatively, White female students were the highest degree earners at 67.3%, Other Latinas at
65.9%, Mexican American females at 61.5% and Puerto Ricans at 53.4%. The pattern of degree
attainment was parallel to male students, in that White male students were the highest degree
earners at 64.1%, followed by Other Latinos at 57.1%, Mexican Americans at 53.0% and Puerto
Rican students at 42.3% (Cerna et al., 2008). Citizenship was not significantly influential in
overall degree attainment, with 68.7% of non-U.S. citizens obtaining degrees compared to 64.8%
of U.S. citizens. In addition, being a native English speaker did not increase the probability of
degree attainment with the degree attainment rates for both native and nonnative students at
64.9%. Where a student was enrolled was influential in the likelihood of degree attainment.
Those students who attended private universities had the highest levels of degree attainment in
comparison to those students who attended public universities or public colleges (Cerna et al.,
2008).
An examination of the differences amongst race/ethnic groups found that Mexican
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 32

American, Puerto Rican, and Other Latino students had a higher level of concern associated with
paying for college than their White counterparts (Cerna et al., 2008). All Latino students
reported their choice to attend college was influenced by a mentor in comparison to their White
counterparts. Additionally, Mexican American and Other Latino students reported higher self-
efficacy scores than White students.
The study chose to take an in-depth look at the largest Latino group in the sample, which
were Mexican Americans. High school GPA was identified as the strongest positive predictor of
degree attainment for female and male Mexican American students; with every unit of increase
in a student’s GPA (e.g., B- to B or B+ to A-), the likelihood of degree attainment would
increase by 40% for female Mexican American students and 26% for male Mexican American
students.
The study first focused on female Mexican American students and identified another
positive predictor of degree attainment was the number of savings available for college expenses
(Cerna et al., 2008). Female college students who chose their college because of the cost of
tuition and who had the expectation that they would change career choices during college were
30% more likely to attain a degree. Respectively, in relation to finances, female students who
reported major financial concerns at the time of college entrance were 20% less likely to
graduate (Cerna et al., 2008). Institutional choice was influential on degree attainment in that
female students who attended a public university were 45% less likely to obtain their degrees in
comparison to female students who attended a private institution.
The study then turned its focus to male Mexican American students and found that choice
of institution based on academic reputation of the particular institution, and expectation of active
participation in religious activities during college were both additional positive predictors of
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 33

degree attainment (Cerna et al., 2008). In addition, the percentage of Latino students enrolled at
the institution was a significant predictor in degree attainment for male Mexican American
students. Similar to their female Mexican American peers, the concern of finances decreased the
probability of degree attainment by 23% for male Mexican American students. In consideration
of degree attainment and aspirations to attain a professional degree, the study found these types
of aspirations negatively influenced degree attainment and decreased the probability of for male
Mexican American students by 40%.
Now I turn to empirical literature that focuses on community college persistence for both
Latino and other historically marginalized populations of students.
Community College Persistence
In this section, the empirical studies focus on persistence solely within community
colleges, then I turn my attention to focus on the persistence of Latino students and other
historically marginalized populations in community colleges. The empirical studies within this
section focus on a multitude of factors. The foci include the factors (e.g., background, academic,
financial, personal) that influence a student’s decision to persist or drop out of school, ethnic
diversity and its influence on persistence, barriers and the acceptance of those barriers (e.g.,
transportation, financial, work responsibilities) that hinder students’ persistence and external
influences that support students’ persistence (e.g., family and peers).
General persistence in community colleges. Hawley and Harris (2005) examined
factors that influenced persistence in first-year community college students attending a large
metropolitan institution. The study surveyed 2,120 first time college students in the fall of 2000.
The response rate was 17.1% or 362 students. Factor analysis was used in the study to determine
three characteristics that were positively or negatively influential on student persistence: barriers,
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 34

motivations, and aspirations. For the purposes of the multivariate analysis, only 133 students’
responses were used because the remaining students did not have usable Social Security
numbers.
The second set of factors was based on the students’ responses to behavioral items. The
three behavioral factors were Active, Reflective, and Unfocused. An Active student was one
who was involved in extracurricular activities inside of the institution. A Reflective student was
one who had a keen sense of introspection. The student who identified with Unfocused as
behavior characteristics was the student who spent the majority of his or her time focused on
activities outside of the institution, which distracted him/her from focusing on school (Hawley &
Harris, 2005).
The study also focused on discriminant function (Hawley & Harris, 2005). As stated by
Hawley and Harris (2005), the primary purpose of discriminant analysis was to predict a
student’s behavior. For this study, the behavior of students was analyzed for its role in overall
student retention and attrition. The Success of Prediction Model developed by Hawley and
Harris (2005) identified variables that would influence the probability of a student dropping out
or persisting. The three variables identified were barriers, motivational/academic and
expectations.
In relation to barriers, Hawley and Harris (2005) found that the highest predictor of
dropout rates was the number of developmental courses a student was required to complete. An
increase in developmental coursework required by the student resulted in a decrease in the
likelihood of student persistence (Hawley & Harris, 2005). The highest negative predictor of
retention was identified as the expectation that English proficiency would be an issue. The
placement of students into an ESL program was found to have a negative effect on retention.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 35

Results revealed another significant barrier was race; Mexican-American students were
identified as least likely to persist and Latino and Black students were identified as most likely to
persist. However, the percentage of Mexican-American participants within this study was less
than 1% of the population, thus limiting the availability of similar ethnic support structures.
Hawley and Harris (2005) speculated that Mexican-American students were most likely to
dropout due to a lack of integration into the Latino support structures. Conversely, African
Americans were found to have the highest rate of persistence, however, they were also
representative of the dominate population on campus at 77%. An additional barrier that affected
students’ ability to persist included the duration of time between high school completion and
college entry.
In consideration of motivational and academic variables, the strongest predictor of
dropping out was the student’s motivation to transfer from a 2-year institution to a 4-year
institution. Students who declared their desire to transfer to a 4-year institution were less likely
to persist after one year (Hawley & Harris, 2005). This discovery emphasized that student
departure did not have to be associated with a negative inference. The results of the study also
provided cumulative GPA as the second strongest predictor of retention. Additionally, students
who identified as highly active or highly unfocused had moderate predictability towards
retention and students who identified as active and unfocused voiced concern about how to
balance distractions and responsibility, which prevented integration (Hawley & Harris, 2005).
The focus of the highly active or highly unfocused student was on activities outside of the
institution.
Furthermore, Hawley and Harris (2005) identified the benefit of the students’
acknowledgment of barriers ahead of time, thus, formulating expectations and influencing the
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 36

preparedness of the student for the barriers he/she would have to overcome. If students were
aware of what barriers to expect, the likelihood of the student’s persistence increased. In
addition, if the student identified a responsibility to employment, he/she was most likely to drop
out in the first year of college (Hawley & Harris, 2005). The discriminant analysis resulted in a
78.2% prediction of persistence.
Fike and Fike (2008) examined retention predictors of first time in college (FTIC)
students in community college. The study included 9,200 participants from a Texas public urban
community college. The participants were predominantly female (56%) and White (66%) with a
median age of 19. The majority of the participants (99.8%) were enrolled in fewer than 20
semester hours, with 12 hours being the median number of hours in which students were enrolled
for the first fall semester (Fike & Fike, 2008). Additional attributes of the participants included
that approximately 60% of the participants were enrolled in developmental mathematics and
22% were enrolled in developmental reading, 60% of the students were recipients of financial
assistance and 33% of the students were enrolled in online classes. About 25% of participants
reported that their mothers or fathers had some college-level education (Fike & Fike, 2008). For
the purposes of this study, student retention was defined as first year fall semester to first year
spring semester retention and first year fall semester to second year fall semester (Fike & Fike,
2008).
The results of the study found that passing a developmental reading course was the
strongest predictor of student retention (Fike & Fike, 2008). Developmental courses for
mathematics were found as an indicator of fall-to-spring and fall-to-fall retention. The results of
the study were that passing developmental writing was a predictor only of fall-to-fall student
retention, but not for fall-to-spring retention (Fike & Fike, 2008). Another strong predictor of
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 37

retention in this study was taking courses online; however, the study was unable to identify the
specific reasons for this as a predictor of retention.
Additionally, the receipt of financial assistance was identified as a predictor of the
retention of students (Fike & Fike, 2008). However, Fike and Fike (2008) acknowledged that
due to the vast array of options available for financial aid, additional research should be
conducted to determine how financial aid affected the persistence of students. The study also
found that the level of parental education was a predictor of student retention for the fall-to-fall
semesters (Fike & Fike, 2008). The number of hours a student enrolled in during the first
semester was identified as a positive predictor of retention for the study. Fike and Fike (2008)
found that gender and ethnicity were not significant predictors of retention, as well as student age
for the fall-to-fall semester, however, student age was found to be minimally significant in
predicting retention for the fall-to-spring semester.
Deil-Amen (2011) explored how 2-year college students described their experiences of
belonging and congruence in an attempt to identify how and where integration occurred for them
and the experiences that engendered such feelings and motivated their behavior. Even though
the study included 238 semi-structured interviews, including students, staff, and faculty at seven
public community and seven private 2-year colleges in and near a large Midwestern city, the
focus of these results is on the results related to the students. Of the 238 who participated in the
study, 125 of them were students. Thirty-seven percent of the students were Latino, 35%
African American, 19% White, and 9% were of Asian, Indian, or Middle-Eastern decent and
76% of the students were first-generation college students (Deil-Amen, 2011). Of the student
participants 81% self-reported their household income was between low (below $30K) to middle
($30K-$60K) and their ages ranged from 18 to 46, with the average being 24 years of age. For
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 38

the purpose of the study, socio-academic was representative of the academic social interactions
that occurred inside the classroom.
The majority of students reported that an instructor/faculty, other staff member, or
student played a significant role in their ability to adjust, find comfort, a sense of belonging and
competence as college students (Deil-Amen, 2011). The role of personal connection for the
students was also found in sub-groups. When Deil-Amen (2011) examined the desire for
cultural or personal connection with an individual or group on campus, he found that the African
American students were much more likely to express the desire for these connections.
Furthermore, the study found that other racial subgroups mentioned personal connection,
acknowledging the significance; however, they would abstain from articulating a desire or need
for such connections, thus having a negative influence on a student’s ability to persist due to a
lack of connection.
All students expressed the minimal amount of time available to engage while on-campus,
including younger students, due to external obligations. Thus, challenging the assumption that
younger students had adequate time to engage while on-campus. Students reported that external
priorities outside of education such as families of their own, work engagements, or extensive
commute times prevented them from engaging for prolonged periods of time on-campus (Deil-
Amen, 2011).
The results of the study were that the primary source of integration occurred in-class
through interactions (Deil-Amen, 2011). Student participants identified teacher-student, and
student-student interactions within the classroom as significant contributors to the sense of
comfort that they felt within the college environment. One vital attribute to the feelings of
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 39

comfort articulated by the student was the support and ability to approach teachers or other
students (Deil-Amen, 2011).
On the surface, students reported instructors were approachable and that they offered
feelings of comfort and belongingness (Deil-Amen, 2011). Students’ perception of instructors
being approachable was an important factor in mitigating students fears about participating in
class. Many students reported feeling a sense of fear that they would be embarrassed by their
fellow classmates or instructors for a lack of knowledge, that often resulted in students acting in
a cautious manner. This fear was particularly prominent among Latino and African American
students (Deil-Amen, 2011). Students reported that those instructors who solicited student
questions and appeared to welcome such interactions tended to reduce these identified fears and
foster feelings of comfort within the classroom. Furthermore, students identified that the
reduction of these feelings of fear and the sense of comfort was an important precursor to the
commitment of the student to persist. In addition, students shared a correlation between an
increase in positive interactions with instructors and classmates inside of the classroom and a
decrease in their fears, resulting in persistence (Deil-Amen, 2011).
Students did not prioritize relationships with their classmates; however, these
relationships were indicators of a positive peer climate for them (Deil-Amen, 2011). The
students advised work commitments often conflicted with their ability to foster friendships with
classmates outside of the classroom. While the interactions were limited, students reported they
were purposeful, were of high quality and were grounded in discussions around academics (Deil-
Amen, 2011). Students reported that they determined the friendliness of their classmates based
on their willingness to be academically functional.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 40

Student involvement in community-based groups was more prominent than in campus-
based groups, this was particularly obvious due to the emphasis placed on campus-based groups
when the students were asked to discuss the groups in which they participated (Deil-Amen,
2011). Furthermore, the majority of the students (70%) reported that those relationships with
classmates on campus were racially/ethnically diverse, whereas those relationships with
members within their communities were same-race (Deil-Amen, 2011).
Students compared their support system at home versus the support system of their
classmates and 41% advised that the home environment did not provide the same quality of
support (Deil-Amen, 2011). The rationale for the difference in quality was based on the support
provided by college peers, goal-sharing, logic towards pursuit of goals and goal-focused
mentality, whereas their support systems at home did not share the same logic, the same goals, or
the same focus. Students reported their families found difficulty in understanding or relating to
their goals of accomplishing college, particularly if they were already employed (Deil-Amen,
2011).
Students discussed the significance of the interactions between themselves and faculty or
staff. Students said that the interactions, including socio-academic moments, were
predominately initiated by faculty or staff who took an interest in assisting students (Deil-Amen,
2011). Students most frequently identified socio-academic experiences as precursors to their
persistence (Deil-Amen, 2011). An example of faculty or staff taking an interest in students was
through social capital roles of institutional agents. As a result of the faculty taking interest,
students detailed a shift in their perceived power from being powerless to a competent student
worthy of engagement from faculty and staff. The students confirmed that the accessibility to
faculty and staff to assist them with procedural obstacles was instrumental in solidifying their
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 41

confidence and commitment to their role as students in college and persistence. Those
participants who did not access the assistance of faculty and staff chose to depart college (Deil-
Amen, 2011).
The interactions with faculty where the students were able to share personal knowledge
and closeness provided a sense of integration for the student (Deil-Amen, 2011). The sense of
closeness, as described by the students, was a key component in their relationships with faculty
moving beyond academic, due to the resemblance of these relationships to those with family and
friends. Additionally, these relationships with faculty were viewed similarly to those
relationships with mentors; relationships embodied in feelings of care and comfort.
Latino community college persistence. To identify specific academic and demographic
variables associated with the persistence of first-year Hispanic students and the decision to
remain or leave the university was the purpose of the study conducted by Otero, Rivas, and
Rivera (2007). The study was based at a predominantly Hispanic university located in
Southwestern United States. Participants were first-year students enrolled in a program designed
for at-risk students. The program was a requirement for those first-year students who failed one
of the sections of the state-mandated college placement exam. There were 106 participants in the
study, 98.5% identified as Hispanic. Of the participants involved in the study, 62.6% came from
families with a total of $25,000 or less in combined household income (Otero, Rivas, & Rivera,
2007).
Participants were given a survey based on background information, attitudes, and
behavior related to college, and attitudes and perceptions of mentoring. The study used a logit
statistical model to characterize the factors that were likely to contribute to student retention and
those variables that were likely to affect a student’s decision to leave school. The results of the
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 42

study were categorized into the following variables: demographic, college preference, academic
integration, social integration, student commitment, instructional effectiveness, and support
services.
Female students were 25% more likely to persist in college in comparison to the male
students. The study found that additional responsibilities a student might endure, such as being
married or having children, were not related to a student’s decision to persist. Conversely, the
reason for persistence might be the additional responsibilities for students. Students with higher
household incomes were more likely to depart from the institution. The level of education of
fathers and mothers was also found to be impactful in a student’s decision to persist. The study
found that the more years of formal education of the father, the greater influence on his children
to depart from the institution and the more years of formal education of the mother, the greater
influence on her children to persist in the institution.
Factors of students focused on transfer to another institution or who considered the
institution as his/her first choice was unrelated to retention. Students who planned to graduate
from the institution were 42% more likely to persist at the institution after the first year in
comparison to those students who did not plan to graduate from the institution.
Interactions with faculty and staff did not contribute to a student’s decision to persist
based on variables of satisfaction with faculty interaction, satisfaction with staff interaction, and
faculty willingness to interact outside of class (Otero et al., 2007).
Social integration was measured based on students’ report of the importance of spending
time socializing with friends in the Student Center or other campus areas. Students who agreed
socialization with friends in this capacity was important were 11% more likely to persist versus
those students who did not agree nor disagree with this statement. Thus, students who strongly
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 43

agreed socialization with friends on campus was important, had a higher likelihood of
persistence.
Students who reported getting good grades was important had a higher likelihood of
persistence. Furthermore, students’ reported level of satisfaction of their academic experience
was not influential in their decision to persist. The study also found that neither the receipt of
financial aid, or the use of tutoring services was influential on at-risk student’s ability to persist.
The logit model used for the analysis was able to predict, with accuracy, a student’s
decision to persist after his/her first year in college for four out of the five students in the at-risk
program.
Bordes-Edgar, Arrendondo, Kurpuis and Rund (2011) conducted a longitudinal study for
4 and a half years that focused on academic and non-academic factors. The original study
included a demographic sheet and self-report measures as well as the use of instrumentation.
The follow-up study also included the enrollment status of the student. The study focused
particularly on the academic factors: high school grade point average (GPA), entrance exam
scores, and college GPA and nonacademic factors of self-beliefs, social support, and academic
persistence decisions. For the purposes of the study, self-beliefs were defined as educational
self-efficacy and valuing of education (Bordes-Edgar et al., 2011). Additionally, the study
looked at the relationship between mentorship and persistence.
The study initially surveyed 112 Latinos and of those participants 76 (20 men and 56
women) agreed to the follow-up portion of the longitudinal study. Bordes-Edgar et al. (2011)
conducted the follow-up study with the participants and found 21 (six men and 15 women) were
still enrolled, 25 (four men and 21 women) had graduated, 25 (eight men and 17 women) had
dropped out, and five students were academically withdrawn.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 44

Results identified a strong relationship between decisions about persistence and self-
beliefs. Greater self-efficacy and a greater personal valuing of education were related to
persistence decisions, which were positive (Bordes-Edgar et al., 2011). Self-beliefs did not
predict actual persistence of the student and was only influential in decisions related to
persistence. Social support was not a predictor of the persistence decisions of the student beyond
his/her first year. Instead, the most significant social support variable was mentoring, based
upon those students who graduated and their perceptions that they received more mentorship
versus those students who dropped out (Bordes-Edgar et al., 2011).
High school GPA was reflective of actual academic performance and the students’
persistence decisions were reflective of their commitment to obtaining a college degree.
Graduated students had higher high school and college GPA’s than those students still enrolled,
and those still enrolled had higher GPA’s than those students who dropped out (Bordes-Edgar et
al., 2011).
Crisp and Nora (2010) conducted a longitudinal study that examined the following
research questions: For Hispanic community college students who intend to transfer to a 4-year
institution, what factors are related to the probability of being successful in the second and third
years of college? How do the variables that are related to success vary among developmental
and non-developmental students? The participants of the study were 570 Hispanic students, 575
were female, 43% were male, 48% identified as Mexican or Chicano descent, 12% identified as
Puerto Rican descent, 3% identified as Cuban, and 6% identified as mixed descent and 31%
identified themselves as “other” Hispanic origin (Crisp & Nora, 2010).
Other participant characteristics included that Algebra 2 was the highest level of math
coursework for 48% of the students, 54% had less than a “B” or 3.0 grade point average at the
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 45

completion of high school, 40% indicated that English was not their primary language, and less
than 50% attended college on a full-time basis (Crisp & Nora, 2010). Additionally, 52% of the
students during their first year had taken one or more developmental courses and 41% attended a
community college that had been classified as an HSI. Furthermore, half of the respondents
advised their parents did not attend college.
The study focused on five blocks of variables: demographic, pre-college, socio-cultural,
environmental pull factors, academic experiences, academic experiences, and outcome variables.
Demographic variables were defined as gender, origin, language, parental characteristics. Pre-
college variables were defined as high-school math courses, high school GPA, delayed
enrollment. Socio-cultural variables were defined as parental education, community leadership,
political influence, community service participation. Environmental pull factors were defined as
receipt of financial aid, number of hours worked, intensity of enrollment. Academic experiences
were defined as attended an HIS, time with faculty member, time with academic advisor, GPA,
developmental course enrollment. Outcome variables were defined as success during second and
third year in college (Crisp & Nora, 2010).
For second-year students, success was influenced by level of math courses taken in high
school, delay of enrollment into college, education levels of parents, amount of financial aid
received, intensity of enrollment, number of hours worked, and developmental course
enrollment. For those students who enrolled in higher level math courses in high school,
received more financial aid and had parents with higher levels of education were more
successful. Whereas, those students who delayed enrollment and worked more hours were less
likely to persist, transfer or graduate with an associate degree in 2 years (Crisp & Nora, 2010).
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 46

Additionally, a positive influence on student success for second-year students was the enrollment
in at least one developmental course.
Crisp and Nora (2010) found that the likelihood of student success for second-year non-
developmental students was influenced by environmental pull factors (e.g., number of hours
worked, intensity of enrollment and financial aid), and the level of math coursework taken in
high school. The influential variables varied somewhat for developmental students in that
environmental pull variables (number of hours worked, financial aid, and intensity of enrollment)
were influential; however, additionally parental educational levels were related to success (Crisp
& Nora, 2010).
During the second year of college, 35% of the students were not successful in persistence
or transfer to another institution.
Similarly, to second year, the variables of high school math courses, delayed enrollment,
parental education, number of hours worked and intensity of enrollment were influential in
students’ success during the third year of college. Additional variables that were found to be
influential were the students’ attendance at an HSI institution and GPA during the first year of
college (Crisp & Nora, 2010).
Crisp and Nora (2010) found the success of third-year non-developmental students was
influenced by parental educational level, environmental pull factors (e.g., number of hours
worked, intensity of enrollment and financial aid), and the level of math coursework taken in
high school. Conversely, none of the variables was significantly related to student success for
developmental students in the third year. For third year students, 41% were not successful in
persistence or transfer to another institution.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 47

Arbona and Nora (2007) obtained data about Hispanic students that originated from a
longitudinal study of 26,432 eighth grade students within the United States. The longitudinal
study also included a follow-up study that was conducted 2 years, 4 years, 6 years, and 12 years
after the initial study. Arbona and Nora (2007) derived information from the longitudinal study
that focused solely on information concerning Hispanic students in community colleges and 4-
year colleges. The study conducted by Arbona and Nora (2007) included participant information
for 517 community college students’ responses and 408 4-year college student responses.
Demographics of participants were 64% of the students identified as Mexican descent and about
half reported English as his/her native language.
Three outcomes were examined in relation to Hispanic students in higher education:
initial enrollment in a 4-year college or university versus a 2-year community college, bachelor’s
degree attainment by 2000 among those first enrolled in a community college and bachelor’s
degree attainment by 2000 among those who first enrolled in a 4-year institution (Arbona &
Nora, 2007). Additionally, Arbona and Nora (2007) examined predictor variables in relation to
student persistence. Variables examined were demographic variables (e.g., parental education,
student’s gender), Precollege variables (student’s college plans in 10
th
grade, students’
attainment expectations, high-school curriculum, and number of peers plan to attend a 4-year
college in the 10
th
grade), College variables (e.g., type of first college attended, full/part-time
enrollment, delayed enrollment), and Environmental variables (hours worked and contribution to
support others).
Results of the study indicated that enrollment numbers in 2-year colleges versus 4-year
colleges was similar with 58% of students enrolled in 2-year colleges and 42% enrolled in 4-year
colleges. However, when Arbona and Nora (2007) examined graduation rates with a bachelor’s
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 48

degree, they found significant differences in those students who attended a community college
first versus those students who initially enrolled in a 4-year college. Of those students who
attended a community college first, 7% had obtained at least a bachelor’s degree by 2000,
whereas 44% of the students who first attended a 4-year college had earned a college degree
during the same period.
Arbona and Nora (2007) identified several variables that were indicative of a student’s
likelihood of attending a 4-year college first versus a 2-year college. The variables were a
student’s expectation of attaining a bachelor’s degree, plans to attend college right after
graduation, completion of an academic or a rigorous academic curriculum in high school, and a
majority of the student’s peers with similar plans to attend a 4-year college. The most predictive
variable was high school curriculum. The study found that students were 46% more likely to
enroll in a 4-year college if they had completed a rigorous curriculum in high school. Students
who fulfilled academic curriculum requirements in high school were 37% more likely to enroll in
a 4-year college. A student’s overall expectation was found to be influential in type of institution
in which he/she enrolled. If a student, while in the 10
th
grade expected to obtain a college degree
he/she was 15% more likely to enroll in a 4-year college and if he/she expected to enroll
immediately, the likelihood of attending a 4-year college increased by 22% (Arbona & Nora,
2007). The peer’s choice in institution was also found to be influential and increased the
probability of attending a 4-year college by 28%. Parental expectations and parental education
were not significance in increasing the odds that students would attend a 4-year college versus a
2-year college.
Women were 33% more likely to obtain a degree than men were. Early expectations of
degree attainment in the 10
th
grade increased the probability of degree attainment for the student
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 49

by 93%. In addition, the student’s completion of rigorous curriculum in high school increased
the likelihood of degree attainment by 59%. Community college students who remained enrolled
over a 3-year period were 67% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree and students who did not
delay enrollment had a 93% increase in probability of degree attainment (Arbona & Nora, 2007).
Furthermore, the study examined the influence of higher academic achievement in mathematics
as a predictor of degree attainment and found a miniscule statistical significance of 1% (Arbona
& Nora, 2007).
The study identified the correlation between students’ peers attending a 4-year college
and a 40% increase in probability of degree attainment (Arbona & Nora, 2007). Hispanics
attending a 4-year college who did not delay enrollment were 42% more likely to attain a
bachelor’s degree and students who were continuously enrolled in college and performed better
academically during their first year were 44% and 24% more likely to attain a bachelor’s degree.
Environmental factors such as number of hours worked and financial contributions to
family members were not found to be influential in predicting degree attainment for 2-year or 4-
year colleges (Arbona & Nora, 2007).
Zell (2010) conducted a qualitative study where she examined the psychological and
subjective experiences of Latino community college students. Additionally, Zell (2010)
examined the influence of the experiences of the Latino community college students on their
abilities to persist to obtaining their college goals. The participants of the study included 15
community college students from campuses in the Chicago and South suburban area, who
differed in major, community college attended, geographical location, age (ranging from 22 to 44
years), and gender. All participants were of Mexican descent or Mexican immigrants. Six of the
participants were married, nine of them lived with at least one parent, and six were parents to
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 50

young children. Over half of the participants were first-generation college students and only one
participant had parents who had attended college (Zell, 2010). The study produced eight themes:
overcoming personal and social challenges, maturation, self-discovery and college adjustment,
self-efficacy, continuously strategizing, sense of purpose, perception of faculty, perception of
advisors, and guided and groomed by family to succeed.
The study was conducted using semi-structured interviews. The participants were asked
questions regarding their educational experiences, barriers that they have encountered to obtain
their educational goals, including transferring to a 4-year. The specific questions that were asked
included (Zell, 2010):
Why did you decide to go to a college and what are your motivations for continuing?
What in your family or background supports and motivates you to achieve college goals?
What has validated your experience to stay the course?
What emotional difficulties have they encountered?
What were your greatest fears before starting college?
What excites you the most about college?
What worries you the most?
How is college different from what you expected?
What have been major barriers in pursuing a degree?
What has been your experience with faculty, peers, and services provided at the college
(i.e., advising, services to facilitate transfer to 4-year institutions)?
How did you figure out what degree to pursue, what classes to take, and which university
to transfer to?
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 51

Participants reported they believed being a member of a minority group was a
disadvantage and compromised their educational opportunities (Zell, 2010). Additionally,
respondents reported feeling conflicted about integration and school success, and were also
concerned about the possibility of attempting to integrate and being excluded. Responds advised
that these conflict messages about integration resulted in feelings of marginalization by teachers
and a sense of fear that they did not have the attributes to become college students (Zell, 2010).
Respondents’ narratives were representative of a self-discovery process to overcome the fears of
lacking the right attributes and marginalization.
The majority of the participants (60%) delayed their college attendance. The participants
attributed the delay to prior experiences that had generated self-doubt about their ability to be
academically successful. Participants reported that the decision to enroll in a 2-year college
versus a 4-year college was based on doubts about success in college and low socioeconomic
status (Zell, 2010).
Gaining valuable experiences, skills, and assets, and not perceiving college as a social
experience all contributed to participants reporting a high degree of satisfaction in attending a
community college (Zell, 2010). Participants reported that community college afforded them the
opportunity to offset their lack of preparation and receive academic preparation, test themselves,
and gain exposure to environments that might assist them in their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree.
Half of the respondents reported a sense of reliance on family members who had
previously graduated from the community college and perceived considering this experience as
advantageous to their experience (Zell, 2010). Some of the information that participants
identified as helpful included knowledge about institutional barriers such as certain courses or
faculty to avoid, as well as assistance with adaptation and academic expectations.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 52

All respondents in the study reported a high sense of self-efficacy. When describing
themselves the majority of the students used words such as perseverant, determined, and
individuals who did not give up easily (Zell, 2010). Additionally, respondents attributed their
high self-efficacy to testing themselves and being successful at a task they did not expect to be
successful at performing.
The concept of campus diversity and its influence on self-efficacy and satisfaction was
examined. Participants reported that despite being in the minority on their campuses, they did
not feel discrepancy between their own culture and the academic culture (Zell, 2010). Some of
the respondents reported feeling as though their viewpoints within academic were appreciated.
Additionally, respondents relayed a sense of confidence in the investment in a 2-year
college and their decision to attend a 2-year college, due to feeling unsure about their success in
higher education and lack of clarity of professional goals (Zell, 2010).
Two primary themes that emerged from the participants’ responses showed a need for
constant problem solving to receive the most benefit out of limited resources and persistence to
graduation (Zell, 2010). The majority of the participants reported being ineligible for financial
aid or scholarships and acknowledged this placed a strain on their course loads during certain
terms and delayed graduation.
Participants reported they did not participate in extracurricular activities to maintain their
focus on completing their goals. Furthermore, if they did participate in extracurricular activities,
they participated solely with the purpose of advancing academic or professional goals (Zell,
2010). The majority of participants reported limiting their time on campus to only class
attendance.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 53

Respondents reported that acknowledging priorities and devising a plan to deal with
competing priorities aided in their persistence (Zell, 2010). Examples of this planning included
planning study time, childcare, and the anticipation of barriers in relation to work.
Participants reported sense of purpose as being an influential driving force to persistence
(Zell, 2010). The sense of purpose, as identified by respondents was the perception of college as
a way to make meaningful contributions to family, community, and society. The participants
desired to give back to their parents as a form of appreciation for raising and supporting them
and held the belief that obtaining a degree would enable a better life for their families.
Additionally, participants acknowledged their desire to be role models contributed to their sense
of purpose and overall academic success.
The results indicated that some of the most rewarding experiences were positive
relationships with faculty (Zell, 2010). Respondents indicated they would seek faculty who they
perceived as experts and whose interests aligned with their career opportunities and perceived
faculty as being mentors and guides. Time spent with faculty was reported to be both inside and
outside of the classroom and participants reported reliance on faculty members for guidance with
resolving academic difficulties, discussing personal problems, and navigating campus
bureaucracy (Zell, 2010).
Furthermore, participants advised that interactions with faculty outside of the classroom
gave them the perception that the faculty member cared for them, saw them as individuals, thus
providing the participant with a sense of comfort that they could ask for assistance from the
faculty member. Several respondents also reported a felt sense of motivation from their
interactions with faculty members, which often led to them asking for advice in relation to
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 54

transferring, what classes to take, which transfer institutions to inquire about and financial aid
(Zell, 2010).
For this study, Latino faculty members were underrepresented. However, respondents
did not report that the lack of representation of Latino faculty deterred them from developing
these relationships with faculty members. In fact, the majority of respondents reported
developing significant relationships with faculty who were racially diverse (Zell, 2010). Faculty
characteristics that were influential in participants’ motivation to seek interaction included open-
mindedness and enthusiasm. Additionally, respondents placed significant value on those faculty
members who held high expectations concerning academic performance, provided feedback that
respondents deemed useful to learning and development, and had a demonstrated sense of
commitment to the growth of the respondent (Zell, 2010). Those participants who felt as though
they were not singled out and were treated as though they were capable were also influential in
them seeking out faculty interactions.
All participants except one reported difficulty in accessing support and information from
academic advisors and identified the relationship with their academic advisor as being one of the
most difficult of their college experience (Zell, 2010). Participants described the relationship
with their advisors as being frustrating, disappointing, and unhelpful. Identified issues of
participants included advisors lack of knowledge about students’ area of interest, ill advisement
about which classes to enroll for transferring or graduating, and erroneous information about
financial aid (Zell, 2010). Participants identified a lack of understanding the institutional
structures of articulation between schools after speaking with advisors. Additionally,
respondents reported taking courses for months without a clear degree path and others reported
losing credits because the courses were not transferable to the 4-year institution of their choice
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 55

(Zell, 2010). Participants involved in federally funded programs such as TRIO reported a
positive experience with their advisors.
Participants reported that family was the morally and emotionally supportive (Zell,
2010). Within this study, participants indicated that their parents were supportive of their
academic goals and always believed in their capacity to succeed in school. Additionally, the
majority of participants who were women reported a strong sense of support from their partners
and acknowledged the significant role this support played in their academic persistence (Zell,
2010). Results showed a strong sense of reliance on family members for assistance, validation,
and making crucial decisions regarding academics. The reliance further intensified if the family
member had prior knowledge or experience of the expectations of college (Zell, 2010).
Acknowledgment of the role of social uplift received from familial and community
constructs and the connection to a larger purpose was the focus of the study conducted by Campa
(2010). The researcher asserted that while there were many precepts, her focus was specifically
on cultivating larger purpose, because it facilitated the participant’s ability to be successful in
his/her educational endeavors at the community college level. The participants of the qualitative
study included five Mexican-American students (three women and two men) who attended a
community college in the Southwestern region of the United States. Campa (2010) stated that
the participants chosen for the study were purposefully chosen because they had been identified
as educationally resilient, due to their ability to persist in obtaining their degrees despite daily
barriers. Additionally, Campa (2010) indicated that students who had dropped out and later
returned or who had struggled with their coursework initially, and were working on their third
semester and had maintained a good GPA of 3.0 or higher were chosen for the study because
they had already demonstrated educational resilience.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 56

For the purposes of the study, Campa (2010) identified resilience as a phenomenon in
which an individual had the ability to succeed despite adverse conditions, internal or external
conditions, or outcomes. Particularly Campa (2010) focused on the concept of critical resilience.
As defined within the study, critical resilience was based on four beliefs. The first belief was the
significance of the consideration of personal and environmental factors. The second belief was
that it was important to examine the role that power played in families, schools, and communities
and more specifically, on educational institutions. The third belief was the necessity for cultural
understanding of the lives of Mexican Americans in the context of social, cultural, economic,
and historical perspectives. Fourth, the idea of critical resilience accounted for the intersections
of race, class, gender, age, and how students used these to negotiate power and maneuver around
barriers (Campa, 2010).
All participants acknowledged their parents had little knowledge of the educational
process. However, they did advise that despite their parents’ lack of knowledge they were
supportive in other ways such as purchasing textbooks, allowing use of their personal vehicles
for transportation to and from school and encouraging them to stay focused (Campa, 2010).
Participants asserted that the financial, spiritual, and emotional support received from their
parents was their way of showing their belief in the students’ ability to be successful in their
educational endeavors.
In the context of critical resilience, students identified that their resilience originated in
the social, economic, and cultural backgrounds of their family structures. Additionally, the
students indicated that the consejos, provided by their families played an important role in
determining their resilience. They identified consejos as subjective forms of knowledge and an
intersection between race, class, and gender that were shared through oral tradition. Consejos
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 57

served as motivational strategies that were the foundation of their critical resilience (Campa,
2010). Within the study, one example provided of a consejos was when families remind their
children of the value of formal education and they often spoke of the sacrifices made in order to
assure their children have the opportunity to secure better futures (Campa, 2010).
Using these consejos as a baseline of motivation, participants discussed how they coupled
these oral motivations with critical resilience to be successful. Other important components to
their success were the desire to make their parents proud, to serve as a role model, and to relieve
their parents of the responsibility of caring for them (Campa, 2010). These articulated desires on
behalf of the participants were demonstrative of their commitment to the social uplifting of their
family from the sociocultural locations in which they resided. Furthermore, this identified that
what fueled these participants to be successful surpassed just the desire of obtaining
employment. Thus, this commitment provided context to a larger purpose that each of the
participants held. Additionally, participants acknowledged that inequitable treatment served as
motivation to change the conditions of society and that this was connected to what they
perceived to be their larger purpose and was essential to their very being (Campa, 2010).
Participants expressed achieving success of a larger purpose required more than
acknowledgment of this purpose. They indicated that bringing the purpose to fruition required
artfulness, which was described as having an understanding of power and how to maneuver
within the structures of power (Campa, 2010). The combination of the understanding and the
maneuverability assisted in the cultivation of their larger purpose. The participants identified
specific overt behaviors, which they felt, were necessary to follow in order to be successful in
maneuvering power. The participants advised that it was important to note that the codes were
not obvious to all community college students because those making the rules were also those
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 58

with the power (Campa, 2010). One of the codes included engaging in certain acts in an effort to
make a good impression to obtain social capital. The second set of codes emphasized the
necessity of building strong connections with faculty members to gain social capital, which
would provide access to cultural capital (Campa, 2010).
While engaging in these overt behaviors for the sake of obtaining social capital,
participants discussed the transformation that they often made within their identities from inside
the classroom to outside of the classroom. Campa (2010) discussed that the participants, while
required to engage in these overt behaviors for social capital, did not assimilate or conform to
these values outside of the classroom. White students internalized these codes as part of their
culture and Mexican Americans once they departed from the classroom, set aside the values and
codes and returned to their world and aligned themselves with the cultural expectations of the
Mexican American culture. Part of this transformation included their ability to engage socially.
Participants acknowledged the necessity to participate in class by engaging in classroom
discussions, interacting with faculty, and attending extracurricular activities. Although
acknowledging the requirement of participation as an important factor in their ability to obtain
social capital, participants also expressed the struggle with the openness of participation (Campa,
2010). The participants expressed the felt contention between their expectations culturally and
educationally. In addition, participants expressed the concern of their families that assimilation
would result in abandonment of their Mexican American cultures.
Within the classroom, they advised the expectation is for them to openly participate, ask
questions and be outspoken. The participants did acknowledge that a vital result of their
participation and outspokenness was the dismantling of the myths that their lack of participation
was because Mexican Americans were not concerned about their education. Conversely, in the
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 59

context of their Mexican American this type of behavior was observed as falta de respecto or a
lack of respect (Campa, 2010). Furthermore, the participants communicated that what the other
students who they attended school with did to earn good grades would be considered
unacceptable behavior in their homes, thus providing internal and external conflict with the
participants prior to solidifying how to transition fluidly between the different identities inside
and outside of the classroom.
In consideration of gender and expectations, the female participants expressed concern
with the implications of being too humble or too respectful. The male participants were not
concerned with these particular implications, although they did agree with the importance of
respect and humility (Campa, 2010). Additionally, variations could also be identified within
socioeconomic classes. Participants advised that the importance of obtaining what is perceived
to be a good education by their families was more prevalent in low socioeconomic classes.
Participants discussed that even though the behavior of others students was observed as
disrespectful in their homes, they were able to make the connection between these actions and
behaviors and their success academically (Campa, 2010). In addition to making this connection,
the participants also acknowledged their ability to strike a balance between demonstrating those
same actions and behaviors without assimilating to the White culture. The participants also
offered that an important factor in the success of their demonstrations of these behaviors was
also the timeliness of the expression of their identities. One example of this that was provided by
one participant was that he had to know when to be Mexican, when to be American and when to
be both (Campa, 2010).
Through engagement in these overt behaviors, in accordance with codes, the participants
were afforded the opportunity to express their interests in learning and increase their visibility,
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 60

thus increasing social capital (Campa, 2010).
Community college persistence in other historically marginalized groups. Due to the
limited amount of research available on Latino students, I turn my attention to include research
on other historically marginalized populations.
Nakajima, Dembo, and Mossler (2012) examined the factors that influenced a student’s
decision to persist or drop out of school. The study answered two central guiding questions:
“What background variables, financial variables, and academic variables influence students’
persistence in community college education?” and “Do academic integration and psychosocial
variables influence student persistence?” (Nakajima et al., 2012, p. 595). The study sample was
made up of 427 community college students (157 males, 256 females and 14 who did not
identify their gender) ranging in age from 18 to 74 years of age. The ethnic composition of the
participants was 21 as African American, 43 as Asian, and 162 as Hispanic, 26 as Other Non-
White, and 136 as White and 39 did not identify. Participants were from a community college
located in Southern California.
This quantitative study included the use of three instruments: the Institutional Integration
Scale (IIS) examining student integration, the College Self-Efficacy Inventory (CSEI) examining
students’ self-efficacy, and the Career Decision Scale (CDS) examining students’ ability to
declare a major or choice of career and level of decisiveness. Additionally, students completed a
survey to collect demographic, financial, and academic information. The information for the
survey was derived from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP). Specifically,
the survey questioned students about their ethnicity, age, parental education level, high school
GPA, financial aid status, employment status, and educational aspirations. Other information
about the students that the institution provided included the number of units completed by the
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 61

students, number of units attempted by the students, and cumulative GPA. For the purpose of
this study, Nakajima et al. (2012) identified examples of the following variables: psychosocial
variables as self-efficacy and goals, academic integration variables as student-faculty interaction,
and background variables as demographic, financial, and academic.
Nakajima et al. (2012) found that cumulative GPA was the greatest predictor of students’
persistence during their time in community college. Nakajima et al. (2012) found that those
students who showed an increase by one standard deviation in their cumulative GPA were twice
as likely to persist. A student’s age and his/her graduation year from high school were also
influential on his/her ability to persist. Additionally, the study found that the academic
integration and psychosocial variables directly predicted student persistence. However, all
variables were found to interrelate. An example of this interrelation included the correlation of
psychosocial variables and cumulative GPA, which predicted student persistence.
Nakajima et al. (2012) examined the relationship between financial aid and student
persistence and found that the 85% of students who received financial aid persisted in
comparison to 73% of those students who did not receive financial aid. Furthermore, when
considering the effect of financial variables on student persistence, the study found that those
students who worked more hours did not persist in comparison to those students who worked
fewer hours or were unemployed.
The number of units a student was enrolled in was also found to have a significant
influence on his/her persistence. The study found that academic integration was correlated to
enrollment units, which was found to be a predictor of student persistence. This was another
example of interrelation of variables. Study results found that 70.8% of part-time students did
not persist, in comparison to only 29.2% of full-time students who did not persist. Nakajima et
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 62

al. (2012) asserted that a possible explanation for the influence of enrollment status was due to
the number of commitments of part-time students had when compared to full-time students.
Some of the factors identified by Nakajima et al. (2012) that negatively affected enrollment
status included financial responsibility, work hours, age, and number of dependents.
Another predictive element in student persistence was English proficiency. Those
students who were identified as having trouble with English were placed in remedial classes,
which often did not count for college credit. Thus, those students who were placed in remedial
classes had to take additional courses to transfer. The extent to which the placement in remedial
classes affected student persistence was not examined in this study.
The study found that while academic integration variables and student persistence were
interrelated, there was no direct relationship between the faculty interaction and student
persistence. On the other hand, the concept of faculty concern was a significant predictor of
student persistence. Those students who felt as though their faculty genuinely cared about them
(showed concern) were more likely to persist (Nakajima et al., 2012). As acknowledged
previously in this study, the extent to which variables were influential was dependent on the
presence of other variables. An example of this was found when examining faculty concern
because when other variables were present, faculty concern was not influential in student
persistence, however, when the variable was examined singularly, faculty concern was
significantly influential on student persistence. Thus, Nakajima et al. (2012) asserted
significance in examining variables as stand-alone versus in conjunction with other variables.
The results revealed that psychosocial variables were not directly influential on students’
persistence. In particular, there was no difference in student persistence when a student had
career goals. Additionally, when examining psychosocial variables in the context of self-
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 63

efficacy and student persistence, Nakajima et al. found that the level of self-efficacy (high/low)
of the student did not influence his/her ability to persist (2012).
The findings revealed that the characteristics of those students who were most likely to
persist included good grades, attending full-time, and proficiency in English. Nakajima et al.
(2012) concluded that the experiences of a student after he/she enrolled in college might be more
influential than precollege variables, as they found the cumulative GPA to be the greatest
predictor of student persistence.
Barbatis (2010) focused on why ethnically diverse students are able to persist
educationally despite being unprepared for college. The study has 22 participants (17 women
and five men) between the ages of 19-46 years of age. There were 12 persisters who participated
in the study (nine women and three men). The persisters identified as follows: two identified as
White, three identified as Hispanic, and seven identified as Black. Few of the participants in the
study qualified for financial aid. The study was based at a large, urban community college
located in the southeastern part of the United States.
The method for the study was a combination of individual semi-structured face-to-face
interviews and focus groups where participants were given the opportunity to provide insight
about participant experiences. These interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Data
analysis was conducted using data that was accessed from archives and provided information
such as year-to-year retention, GPA, ethnicity, gender, age, first generation status, and
participation in learning communities. A constant comparative method was used to compare
archived data to interview transcripts and identify relationships in statements and events and core
categories were identified. The results of the study were organized into four themes: precollege
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 64

characteristics; external college support/community influences; social involvement; and
academic integration (Barbatis, 2010).
For the purposes of the study, traits collected prior to college, which included sense of
responsibility, goal orientation, resourcefulness, determination, cultural and racial self-
identification, and faith, was identified as pre-college characteristics.
Participants attributed their success to family support, which included support from
parents, grandparents, siblings, and cousins. Additionally, participants identified high school
teachers, faculty, and friends and significant others contributed to their persistence. These were
examples representative of external college support/community influences.
Social involvement was identified as those students involved on campus in organizations
or clubs and attribute persistence to social capital and network of support on campus.
Students persisted when they felt included in campus academic culture and academia,
which the study defined as academic integration. Underprepared students with limited academic
success prior to attending college were able to understand how to navigate the system and
develop skills for academic success. These skills included development of positive interactions
with faculty, acknowledgment of the expectations of college and effective study habits (Barbatis,
2010).
Participants in the study offered examples of influencing factors (internal and external)
that were influential in navigating their college experience and contributed to their persistence.
A common theme expressed amongst participants was the relationship between the influence of
parents, faculty, faith, and personal characteristics and academic persistence. Persisters reported
a sense of responsibility, goal orientation, resourcefulness, and determination. Persisters were
more likely to provide explanation as to how culture, race, or ethnicity was influential in his/her
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 65

success. Persisters reported a high rate of involvement in campus life. All participants in the
study reported his/her perception of education was one of liberation to break away from the
current cultural frame of reference to an open, hopeful view of self with limitless potential and as
means to achieve goals.
The literature offered that the greatest predictors of student persistence were cumulative
GPA and mentorship. Additionally, the literature considered the reciprocal relationship between
academic, and social integration, and goal commitment, and institutional commitment
(Pascarella & Terinizi, 1983; Tinto, 1982). The literature also offered examples of reciprocal
relationships such as Astin (1984), focused on the relationships between student involvement and
student behavior and Bean and Metzner (1985) focused on the influence of environmental
variables and their relationship to the students’ decision to depart. However, the consideration
was limited and reciprocal causation remained unexplored due to statistical techniques used
(Tinto, 1982).
Conceptual Framework
In this section, I present my conceptual framework that served as the foundation of this
study and how I collected, analyzed, and interpreted data. According to Maxwell (2013), a
conceptual framework is a “tentative theory of the phenomena that you are investigating (p. 39)
that informs your research design. In particular, a conceptual framework encompasses the focus
of the study, concepts, relationships among the concepts, and theories about those relationships
(Creswell, 2014; Maxwell, 2013; Merriam, 2009). After having conducted this study, I have
revised the conceptual framework to reflect my current thinking about the phenomenon I
investigated.
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This study’s conceptual framework is represented in Figure 1. Elements for this
conceptual framework were drawn from persistence literature to explain the phenomenon of
Latino community college students’ persistence from their first to second year of community
college based on their experiences. I argued that students’ retention, persistence and social and
academic integration was the product of these interactions, based on a multitude of factors that
were dependent upon the unique perceptions and the personal, environmental factors, and lessons
of struggle and pedagogies of survival internalized in forms of critical resilience of each student.
Personal factors include problem solving, autonomy, and sense of purpose and environmental
factors include family, school, peers, and community. Lessons of struggle and pedagogies of
survival are experiences shared with the student from their families’ experiences, or from their
own individual experiences.
Prior to data analysis, I proposed that personal and environmental factors were
internalized through orgullo (pride), sabiduria (wisdom), dichos (sayings), and consejos (advice)
and demonstrated by the student as critical resilience. After the completion of data analysis, my
conceptual framework was amended to reflect the findings of my study.
Consequently, now my conceptual framework presents that personal factors are internal
attributes of the students and are not internalized in forms of critical resilience. Environmental
factors are external attributes and are not internalized in forms of critical resilience. Lessons of
struggle and pedagogies of survival are represented in personal and environmental factors that
play an influential role in the students’ ability to persist. These lessons of struggle and
pedagogies of survival are internalized by the student in forms of critical resilience; orgullo
(pride), sabiduria (wisdom), dichos (sayings), and consejos (advice). The pedagogies of survival
include economic, emotional, social, historical, cultural, and spiritual experiences. The
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 67

pedagogies of survival were influential in personal and environmental factors. The students
personally internalized the lessons of struggle through their own experiences and these
experiences were represented in the personal factors. In addition, the students internalized their
families’ lessons of struggle and these experiences were represented in the environmental
factors.
First, I individually describe the role personal factors, environmental factors, and lessons
of struggle and pedagogies of survival played in the students’ experiences and influenced their
ability to persist. I also discuss the way that these factors influenced the behaviors and actions of
the student to persist.
Personal Factors
For the purpose of my conceptual framework, personal factors were identified as problem
solving skills, autonomy, and sense of purpose (Benard, 1993). Drawing on the literature of
personal factors (Morales, 2000), I argue that second-year Latino community college students
had personal factors such as internal attributes, characteristics and attitudes that assisted them in
overcoming times of difficulty.
For the personal factor of problem-solving, Benard (2004), Hassinger and Plourde
(2005), and Reis, Colbert, and Hebert (2005) provided insights that guided my understanding of
problem-solving. Students with the personal factor of problem-solving demonstrated these skills
by finding alternative solutions when faced with cognitive and social problems in the context of
community college and their home environments.
Those who demonstrated autonomy acted independently, had personal control of
themselves and their environment, and had a strong sense of self. This definition came from the
work of Benard (2004). Drawing on the literature of autonomy, I expected the second-year
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 68

Latino students to demonstrate autonomy in their independence. The students’ demonstrated
personal control of themselves and their environments through their advocacy to take advantage
of resources both inside and outside of the classroom and in their ability to take control of their
environments through decisions that were influential inside and outside of the classroom. In
addition, the students had a strong sense of self and demonstrated this as the driving force in their
ability to advocate for themselves to have their needs met, despite the availability of resources.
Drawing on the literature of sense of purpose, I expected that the students would be
influenced and molded by their experiences. The students utilized these experiences and applied
them to understand the meaning of their lives, in conjunction with goal direction, optimism,
sense of meaning and creativity.
Environmental Factors
Drawing from the literature, environmental factors were external support systems
including family, school, peers, and community (Lambie, Leone, & Martin, 2002). I argued that
the extent to which family was an external support system had limitations. The students
experienced conflict that arose from their families’ lack of knowledge about the processes of
college, commitment to school (financial and time), and a lack of understanding for the student’s
educational goals. To assist in navigating these conflicts that arose from their home
environments, students found support in school, peer and community relationships.
In the context of school, inside and outside of the classroom, students experienced
positive interactions with faculty, staff, and peers that they perceived contributed to their ability
to persist. Drawing from the literature on student engagement with faculty, staff and peers, the
students would state that the faculty, staff, and peer relationships played an influential role in
their ability to adjust, find comfort, a sense of belonging and competence as college students.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 69

In addition, students provided in detail the purpose for their connections with their peers.
Students would state that they connected with other Latino students to feel connected to the
school and to overcome hardships that they faced outside of the school. Students would also
state that they participated in activities for the purpose of connecting with peers and in that
context the connections were not exclusive to their own race or ethnicity. Students would also
state that they connected with peers as a result of commonalities in family dynamics and the
connections aided in their ability to navigate the complex messages they were receiving from
their families and home environments. Drawing from the literature on environmental support
systems, students would also state that they connected with peers that shared similar goals.
These included desire to transfer, overall commitment to school, desire to be academically
successful, and attainment of a high GPA as a result of academic success.
I expected the students to be influenced by members of the community. The students
used mentors in the context of community relationships to serve as valuable resources and
contributors of social capital. These relationships also provided support in the context of school
and were influential in student’s persistence.
Lessons of Struggle and Pedagogies of Survival
I argued that the second-year Latino community college students experienced lessons of
struggle and pedagogies of survival either through the experiences of their families, or their
personal experiences. The lessons of struggle personally experienced by the student were
represented in the personal factors and the lessons of struggle experienced by their families’ were
represented in environmental factors. For the lessons of struggle experiences derived from
environmental factors, I argued that the students internalized these experiences into forms of
critical resilience; orgullo (pride), sabiduria (wisdom), dichos (sayings), and consejos (advice). I
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 70

expected the students to be influenced in some form by the experiences. Students would state
that while they internalized the experiences in forms of critical resilience, that these experiences
were not the sole influential factor in their ability to persist. Students also would state that the
experiences were influential, however, the extent they chose to internalize the influence of the
experiences, if at all and how they applied the lesson to their persistence was their choice, thus,
demonstrating autonomy.

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework.
The experiences of each student were individual, and unique, providing great insight into
the factors that they believed influenced their ability to persist in their educational journeys. The
more a student was aware of his/her own personal experiences and processes in relation to
his/her educational journeys, the better he/she was equipped to share why he/she feels he/she has
been able to persist educationally.
For the purposes of this study, I extracted the data that revealed the personal experiences
of Latino community college students (e.g., social, cultural, environmental, internal) as explained
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 71

by the student and their perception of what experiences supported and/or hindered their ability to
persist from first-year to second-year in community college.
The data, provided insight into each student’s understanding of this/her experiences, and
was dependent on the student’s ability to articulate those factors, that were influential to their
experiences and how those factors coincided with their educational persistence.
One-on-one interviews with second-year Latino community college students were
conducted to gather the data. In this framework, I focused on the experiences as units and how
the student makes meaning from the experience internally and externally, and the student’s
perspective then informs their ability to persist.
Conclusion
This literature explored ways that the persistence literature offered insight and
understanding on the factors that were influential in Latino community college student’s ability
to persist in their educational endeavors. My framework was built on how the body of
persistence literature enabled me to answer my research question. I argued that each student has
their own personal perspective and narrative on how they navigate the educational structures and
the world. Additionally, the experiences of each of these students were reflective in the personal
and environmental factors within these factors were subset lessons of struggle and pedagogies of
survival that represent each of them. I asserted that Latino community college students who are
able to persist despite barriers and personal and environmental influences have particular unique
qualities, that allow them to succeed.
The following chapter describes the methodological procedure for this dissertation. The
chosen methodological procedure included interviewing second-year Latino community college
students to hear their stories regarding their lived experiences.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 72

CHAPTER THREE: METHODS
This chapter explains my decision to use qualitative approach, the sampling strategy, and
the instrumentation and the data collection methods I used to conduct my study. The purpose of
this study was to examine the experiences of second-year Latino community college students. In
particular, I focused on the students’ perceptions of their experiences from a multi-faceted
approach, exploring the social, cultural, academic, and internal experiences the students
perceived contributed to and influenced their ability to persist. The qualitative case study was
informed by the following research question:
What experiences do second-year Latino community college students believe contribute
to their ability to persist?
Research Design
The method used for this study was a qualitative research design. Qualitative researchers
attempt to understand or interpret a phenomenon and the meaning that people bring to them
(Merriam, 2009). The unit of analysis for this study was Latino community college students who
had persisted from their first-year to the second-year in community college. The purpose of this
focus was to provide a greater insight and understanding of the personal life experiences of these
students and how these experiences factor into their ability to persist to the second-year. This
focus aligned with the key concern of a qualitative study and providing an emic, or insider’s
perspective, understanding a phenomenon from the perspective of the participant and not the
researchers (Merriam, 2009). In addition to the experiences of these students, I focused in
particular on the connections between their personal experiences and themes associated with
their ability to persist.
In particular, I chose to utilize a multiple case study approach. A case study is
particularistic as it focuses on a specific phenomenon or problem (Creswell 2014; Merriam,
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 73

2009). This study contains multiple cases, and I explored the story of each participant. A case
study approach allowed me to describe the lives of the students in the context of real life.
Research conducted in the format of case study is descriptive, meaning the results provide a
thorough and comprehensive description of the phenomenon (Merriam, 2009). Additionally,
case study research is heuristic, meaning it will inform the reader’s understanding of the
phenomenon being studied and contribute to my understanding as the researcher (Merriam,
2009).
For this study, I used interviews to conduct a multi-case study of six second-year Latino
community college students. Interviews allow researchers the privilege to discuss feelings,
thoughts, and intentions with the participants. Interviewing is necessary when what we are
looking to examine cannot be observed, including an individual’s interpretation of the world
around them (Merriam, 2009). Conducting interviews with the second-year Latino community
college students, I was able to examine the narratives, drawing from their personal experiences
that enabled them to persist. In addition, interviews allowed for a glimpse into the past to
examine experiences that we are unable to replicate through the participant’s perspective
(Merriam, 2009). Many of the life experiences of these students that I focused on were in the
past tense; therefore, interviewing was the best possible tool of assessment.
The qualitative approach was most appropriate for this study because it enabled me to
obtain the personal perspectives, feelings, and values of the participants (Creswell, 2014;
Merriam, 2009). My primary goal was to gain insight on the personal perspectives and life
experiences associated with persistence in relation to the students’ educational journeys. Using
the qualitative approach afforded me the opportunity to study second-year Latino community
colleges students in their naturalistic setting and to capture and understand the experiences of his
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 74

or her educational journey from his or her personal perspective (Merriam, 2009). The data
collected from the use of the qualitative approach provided valuable information because it was
rich and descriptive and helped inform the study’s conceptual framework. Furthermore, the
qualitative approach is inductive, allowing the researcher to present questions, interpret data,
answer questions, and draw from those answers (Creswell, 2014; Merriam, 2009).
My initial interest was in examining the generalized themes, if any, that influence
persistence of second-year Latino community college students. I narrowed my focus of
examination to single entities within the bounded system, meaning the personal and
environmental factors that the students perceived to influence their persistence. The personal
factors were identified as social competence, problem solving skills, autonomy, and sense of
purpose (Benard, 1993). Environmental factors were identified as external support systems that
included family, school, and community (Lambie, Leone, & Martin, 2002). In addition, I
narrowed my focus more and examined how each of the students internalized the personal and
environmental factors in forms of critical resilience, thus influencing their ability to persist.
Lessons of struggle and pedagogies of survival were also part of this examination to understand
how these factors were internalized and influenced their persistence.
Sample and Population
I used purposeful sampling to identify the participants in this study. Due to the focus of
the study specifically on second-year Latino community college students, I selected participants
who met certain criteria. Purposeful sampling was an appropriate strategy because it is based on
the belief that the researcher desires to understand and gain insight into her topic of interest and
therefore must select specific individuals from whom the most information can be obtained
(Merriam, 2009). Purposeful sampling requires that specific criteria be established that allowed
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 75

me to identify those individuals best positioned to provide me with the information necessary to
answer my research question (Creswell, 2014). In particular, I used maximum variation
sampling (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam, 2009), that provided a wide range of perspectives on the
topic I was interested in studying. Thus, I sampled students with different characteristics,
looking for variation amongst the students. Examples of these variations included, but were not
limited to, different ages, different educational experiences (more or less successful as high
school students), different socioeconomic backgrounds, and different genders. Determining the
selection criteria for my sample was the first step in purposeful sampling. I conducted a
presentation at the SoCal Student Club meeting, with prior written approval from the faculty
advisor. I provided the students with a one-page recruitment flyer that explained the goals of my
research study, the criteria for the participants, the screening and interview processes, and
contact information, if the student voluntarily decided to participate in the study. Six
respondents contacted me via email after the conclusion of the presentation and I provided them
screening questions. All six respondents met the established criterion. I contacted each of the
respondents and asked them to provide me with interview times and dates, as well as a location
to conduct the interview where they felt comfortable.
Site Selection
The case study took place at a 2-year institution, using purposive sampling. In using this
strategy, this offered the researcher the opportunity to choose deliberately particular settings,
persons, or activities, that are relevant to the questions and goals (Maxwell, 2013). The focus of
my study was on second-year Latino community college students’ perceptions of the social,
cultural, academic, and internal experiences that influenced their ability to persist. The site
chosen was located in the Southern California region. The site serves over 28,000 students: 75%
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 76

are Latino. In addition, the site is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), that in accordance with
the literature; students who attended an institution similar to his or her own race or ethnicity have
a greater likelihood of persistence. The pseudonym of SoCal Community College was used in
this study to protect the identity of the school.
Participant Selection
I selected 6 participants and conducted in-depth interviews. I examined their collective
experiences, and then narrowed my focus to each of his or her personal experiences. I chose this
sample size because by choosing a small group of participants this afforded me the opportunity
to establish productive relationships and best enabled me to answer my research question
(Maxwell, 2013). My intent was to provide insight on a selected group of second-year Latino
community college students, rather than focus on generalizing the findings and applying them to
a larger population. To achieve maximum variation of my sample selection, the following
criterion was used to determine the most appropriate student sample.
Criterion 1. The first criterion was that the participants had to be second-year
community college students. For the purposes of this study, second-year was defined as those
students who were physically in their second-year of attendance at the community college. I
selected individuals who were second-year community college students.
Criterion 2. The second criterion was that the participants identified themselves as
Latino. I selected individuals who identified themselves as Latino. The students were from the
following countries: Mexico, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala,
Colombia, Spain, Honduras, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Argentina. Together
these groups represented 95% of the Latino population (Pew Research Center, 2013).
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 77

Criterion 3. As discussed in the literature, the environmental variables might be
influenced depending on varying gender roles. Therefore, the students chosen were equally
representative of male and female students and provided a representation of these experiences
from the environmental perspective.
Criterion 4. The fourth criterion was that the students attend SoCal Community College
and were members of the SoCal Student Program. This program is a student program and
membership and participation is completely voluntary.
Criterion 5. The students were able to read, write and understand English.
The intent of my selection criteria was to provide an in-depth perspective of the life
experiences of second-year Latino community college students and gain understanding as to
factors, that influenced their ability to persist from first-year to second-year in the community
college context. The personal narratives of these students provided insight and understanding
into their life experiences and how these experiences contributed to their educational persistence
from first-year to second year in community college.
Instrumentation and Data Collection Procedures
This section provides the process by which I collected the data for my study. According
to Creswell (2014), the researcher is the primary instrument of data in a qualitative study.
Specifically, for this study, I conducted interviews. I will discuss the type of data collected in
particular and the relevance to the study.
Interviews
The intent of this study was to examine the life experiences of second-year Latino
community college students who have persisted from first-year to second-year. In particular, I
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 78

focused on the social, cultural, academic, and internal experiences that they believed had
supported and/or hindered their ability to persist from first-year to second-year.
My conceptual framework was used as a resource to guide the concepts that I focused on
during the interview. Within my conceptual framework, I argued that students’ retention,
persistence and social and academic integration was the product of these interactions, based on a
multitude of factors that were dependent upon the unique perceptions and the personal,
environmental factors, and lessons of struggle and pedagogies of survival internalized in forms
of critical resilience of each student. Interviews were vital methods of data collection because
they afforded me the ability to discover and capture feelings, thoughts, and intentions, that
cannot be observed (Patton, 2002; Weiss, 1994). An example of a variable, that is unable to be
observed, and can be discovered through interviewing, is that of environmental support, that was
previously discussed. I used my interviews as the primary source of data collection within my
study. Interviews are an efficient and valid way to capture a participant’s perspective (Maxwell,
2013). Furthermore, interviews offered the past events and experiences of the participants, that
were impossible to observe (Merriam, 2009). The primary source of experiences that I
examined, were past experiences and unobservable, therefore, interviews were the most viable
method to obtain this information for my study.
For this study, I interviewed six second-year Latino community college students. With
the use of my conceptual framework and a semi-structured interview format, the interviews were
conducted with the purpose of providing insight into the student’s feelings and personal
perceptions of the phenomenon studied. I conducted two interviews with each of the students.
The first interview was in a narrative format where the students had the opportunity to tell their
story and provided their own perspectives of the background, and academic experiences that
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 79

influenced his or her persistence. The first interview covered 34 open-ended questions, and took
approximately 120 to 180 minutes for each interview. The second interview was in a narrative
format where the students had the opportunity to tell their story and provided their own
perspectives of the cultural, social, and internal experiences that influenced their ability to
persist. The second interview covered 64 open-ended questions, and took approximately 120 to
180 minutes for each interview. Both interviews were audio-recorded with the written
permission of the participants. During and after the completion of the interview, notes were
taken to provide a record, to document nonverbal behaviors, as well as to record my thoughts as
the primary research instrument. At the conclusion of each interview, I composed summaries
and notes of reflection, that also served as the beginning of my preliminary analysis of the data.
The interviews and hand-written notes were transcribed and saved confidentially for data
analysis.
The two interview protocols (Appendix A and Appendix B) served as a guide in the
questions, that I asked in the interviews. Furthermore, the interview protocols focused
specifically on ideas, that are discussed in my conceptual framework. The purpose of the first
interview was for the students to discuss their perceptions and provide insight into each of the
students’ lives and the background and experiences that influenced his or her persistence toward
their educational goals. In particular, I asked questions for the first interview that focused on the
students’ background and academic experiences. In addition, this interview focused on the
identification of the barriers that these students overcame to persist to their second-year of
community college. The primary purpose of the second interview was to provide the students an
opportunity to discuss the cultural, social, and internal experiences that influenced their ability to
persist. This interview also focused on the lessons of struggle and the pedagogies of survival as
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 80

they were internalized by the student, as well as the identification of the barriers that these
students overcame to persist to their second-year of community college. In addition, this
interview provided students the opportunity to discuss any additional experiences they deemed
necessary.
Data Analysis Procedures
The data analysis procedure chosen for the study was Creswell’s (2014) six-step method.
Data analysis consisted of the following steps: (1) data management, (2) reading, and marking
margin notes, (3) describing, (4) coding, (5) interpreting, and (6) representing and visualizing
data.
As previously discussed, my data analysis began at the conclusion of each of the
interviews as I wrote notes and comments as the observer. Additionally, after the completion of
each interview, I transcribed the interview and observation notes. At the completion of the
transcription process, I coded and categorized the relevant sections. I repeated this process for
each of the interviews. Furthermore, I engaged in a single case analysis and then a cross-case
analysis, that allowed me to compare and contrast the experiences of the students to examine
what emerged as commonalities and differences to gain a better understanding of their
experiences. This type of case analysis aligned with the concept of the examination of
information, identifying components and then breaking them down to identify specifics about the
components (Corbin & Strauss, 2008).
The coding process included several phases. For the first phase, I began with digital
copies of the transcribed interviews and I conducted open and axial coding by reading the
transcripts to identify information that was useful or important and developed categories. This
phase of the process also included interpretation, reflection and meaning of each of the codes.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 81

The first interview I chose to analyze was of a student with whom I believed I had a thorough
discussion that provided data in all areas of my conceptual framework. This student provided
multiple experiences that aligned with personal and environmental factors she perceived to
influence her ability to persist. In addition, she provided examples of internalization in the forms
of critical resilience derived from lessons of struggle and pedagogies of survival. From the
analysis of her discussion, I was able to compile a comprehensive list of codes. During this
phase of the analysis, through reflection and examination of the data, this resulted in adding,
removing, and altering codes that provided insight into my research question. After completing
the first coding process of all 10 digital transcripts, I had a complete list of codes that aligned
with the concepts within my conceptual framework.
During the next phase of my analysis, I used the complete list of codes to examine the
transcripts a second time. I conducted this phase by transferring the coded data from the Word
documents to an Excel document. The process of transferring the data afforded me the
opportunity to reflect, question and validate the codes chosen, as well as analyze the codes across
all participants. Within these Excel documents, the codes were refined to align with the concepts
in my conceptual framework. Refinement of the codes included adding codes, deleting or
combining codes. The refined codes now aligned with the personal and environmental factors
guided by my conceptual framework.
A third stage of analysis was conducted and included analysis using the refined codes,
solely through the lens of personal factors for each participant. In this process, the data was
transferred from the Excel documents to Word documents for each participant. The purpose of
this stage of analysis was to reflect, question and validate the chosen codes and how they align
with the unique perceptions of each student.
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Using the data from the various stages of analysis, I began writing my findings.
Throughout the process of writing, I continued to ask questions to aid in my ability to take on the
role of the students, so I could understand their perceptions of what influenced their ability to
persist (Corbin & Strauss, 2008).
Limitations and Delimitations
A significant limitation of this study was the reliance on the interpretation of the
subjective perceptions of the participant’s experiences. Therefore, the trustworthiness and
validity of the data was contingent on the participant’s self-report and willingness to provide
responses, which are insightful and thoughtful in nature. The study relied fully on the accuracy
of the responses from the participants during the interviews.
The researcher and the participants were from different backgrounds; the researcher was
Caucasian and the participants were Latino. Due to the difference in backgrounds, it can be
assumed that the researcher and the participants created certain biases prior to the study. In an
effort to increase credibility due to the biases, I conducted my study using multiple interviews to
present the experiences of the participants.
Participants for this study were selected through purposive sampling. While I am not
attempting to limit those voices, which are, being presented to represent the entire group of
second-year Latino community college students, there was no guarantee against the limitation of
voices or generalization, because the sample was being chosen out of convenience.
Demonstrating purposive sampling, I chose specifically to focus on students from the SoCal
Student Program, a voluntary student program. Interpretation of the results of the study were
conducted while being mindful of this limitation.
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This study focused on the experiences of second-year Latino community college students
from a holistic perspective. This study was only conducted with six participants. A delimitation
of my study was that I may not have created an interview protocol without errors. Additionally,
a second delimitation is that as a novice researcher, I may not have asked the correct interview
questions. A third delimitation is that when collecting the data, I may have made mistakes. A
fourth delimitation is the amount and type of data, that I gathered during my study, was limited
and I may not have identified findings in my analysis as a more experienced researcher would
have discovered.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
To increase the credibility and trustworthiness of the findings of my study, I utilized
several strategies. These strategies included rich data (Maxwell, 2013), reflexivity (Creswell,
2014), and comparison (Maxwell, 2013). To create rich data from interviews, I focused on
conducting interviews, that provide a holistic account of the experiences of the participant.
Intensive interviews are data that provide a full, revealing picture (Maxwell, 2013). Interviews
were transcribed to provide a verbatim transcript of the interview, that is also representative of
rich data due to the detailed account (Maxwell, 2013). Additionally, reflexivity is another
strategy I used to ensure credibility and trustworthiness. Reflexivity understands that the
researcher is part of the world which he or she studies and is unable to avoid influencing or being
influenced (Hammersely & Atkinson, 2007). As a professor, working at a 2-year institution
where the data collection occurred, I was aware of my bias and subjectivities and the importance
of being disciplined. Understanding how the researcher is influencing and how this can affect
the validity of the drawn inferences from the interview is vital (Maxwell, 2013). Therefore, I
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acknowledged that it was imperative as the researcher, that I was consistently practicing self-
reflection about my influences.
Comparison was another strategy, that I utilized to ensure credibility and trustworthiness.
Comparison was representative in my study using multi-case studies (Maxwell, 2013), as well as
single-case analysis and cross-case analysis. Comparisons are explicit in nature and are used for
assessing the validity threats (Maxwell, 2013).
Ethics
Upholding ethics throughout the course of this study was imperative and considered in
every aspect of the design (Maxwell, 2013). This study was submitted and approved through the
Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Southern California (USC). In addition,
consent forms were provided to each of the participants and were signed by the participants
providing consent to participate in the study.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to provide insight into the personal perspectives and
experiences of second-year Latino community college students who have persisted from first-
year to second-year. In particular, I examined their perceptions of the social, cultural, academic,
and internal experiences that they believe supported and/or hindered their ability to persist from
first-year to second-year. For this study, 6 second-year Latino community college students were
the focus. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with each of the students. My
conceptual framework served as a guide in the process of data analysis.

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CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of second-year Latino
community college students. More specifically, this study sought to examine what the students
perceived as being the social, cultural, academic, and internal experiences that influenced their
ability to persist. Thus, the following research question guided this study:
What experiences do second-year Latino community college students believe contribute
to their ability to persist?
Data analysis conducted on the interviews of six second-year Latino community college students
revealed similarities in students’ ability to persist from first-year to second-year, yet there were
significant differences in the ways students internalized the personal and environmental
experiences that influenced their ability to persist.
First, I present the findings in the ways the second-year Latino community college
students perceived as being the social, cultural, academic, and internal experiences that
influenced their ability to persist. Five findings emerged from the students’ interviews with
respect to their personal and environmental experiences, their roles as community college
students, and as individuals within their communities.
The first three findings resulted from environmental factors and influences. The fourth
finding resulted from personal factors. The fifth finding was found in both personal and
environmental factors.
The first finding relates to the relationships they formed with faculty and staff. Students
identified faculty and staff relationships that played a significant role in their ability to persist.
These relationships between faculty and staff and the students helped them access resources, feel
connected to the school, and helped them believe someone cared about them. The second
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finding relates to students’ relationships with similarly situated peers. They articulated the
importance of having connections to other students who were experiencing similar experiences
both inside and outside of school.
The third finding relates to the experiences of the student outside of the school. Within
this theme there were two themes among the students. The first theme focuses on the students’
connections to mentors and the significance of these relationships. The second theme focuses on
the use of outside resources within the community that played a significant role in their
persistence.
The fourth finding relates to students’ ability to solve problems they confronted inside of
the classroom. This finding derived from personal factors. In this finding there were two themes
that emerged from the data. First, the students advocated for themselves in the context of the
school environment (inside of the classroom, after class and during office hours). Second,
students actively took advantage of resources available to them at the community college.
The fifth finding that emerged from the interviews relates to lessons of struggle and
pedagogies of survival that these students indicated influenced their ability to persist. As I
described in chapter 2, these lessons of struggle can be influenced by personal, familial, and
community experiences and are relayed in the context of pedagogies of survival or stories of
survival (Campa, 2013). The pedagogies of survival are then internalized by the student in forms
of orgullo (pride), sabiduria (wisdom) and consejos (advice) and contribute to critical resilience
leading to persistence (Campa, 2013). There were four themes that revealed themselves in
relation to this finding. The first and second themes focused on pedagogies of survival and
lessons of struggle that derived from environmental factors. The third theme focused on
pedagogies of survival and lessons of struggle that derived from personal factors.
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The first theme focused on lessons of struggle experienced by the family that the student
internalized in forms of critical resilience. The second theme focused on the struggles students
experienced as a result of the socio-cultural conflict and dual-messages that they experienced.
These dual messages came in the form of engagement between the students and their families.
Students communicated that these dual-messages left them with the feeling that they were
navigating the experience of college alone, despite familial support, and that their families were
unable to understand the commitment necessary to be successful and persist in college. The third
theme focused on lessons that students learned as a result of the struggles they had experienced
and the way they had internalized these struggles in forms of critical resilience.
Although pedagogies of survival and lessons of struggle, were used by students to explain
their choices and actions both inside and outside of the classroom, by separating them into their
own finding, I am able to present Latino community college students’ experiences that are
specifically related to their culture. This distinction is significant to this study because one of the
primary focuses of this dissertation was to highlight experiences specific to this population of
second-year community college students, especially given the lack of research on second-year
Latino community college students.
In the remainder of this chapter I present each of these findings and their themes. The
data shows that while each student’s story was unique, there were clear similarities across the six
in what lead to their ability to persist into their second year as community college students.
Finding 1: Relationships with Faculty and Staff Played a Significant Role in Their Success
and Ability to Persist
For this analysis, I drew on literature of academic integration and the role that
environmental factors, from the school, play in students’ ability to persist, particularly
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highlighting those relationships between students and faculty and students and staff at the school.
Those environmental factors from the school include support, affection, and assistance from
teachers and other staff (Lambie et al., 2002). Tinto (1997) described the classroom as the
nucleus of educational activity and focused on the interactions that occur inside of the classroom
and the significant role they play in the students’ experience. In addition, Deil-Amen (2011)
focused on the role that instructors/faculty, other staff members and other students play in the
students’ ability to find comfort, feel as though they belong and competence as a student. Tinto
(1993) also revealed that the interactions between the students and faculty and staff must be
positive for the students to persist.
Data revealed that the relationships students had with some of the faculty and staff at the
community college played a significant role in their ability to persist. The students’ relationships
fell into two themes. The first theme was the relationships between faculty and students. The
second theme was the relationships between staff and students. Consistent with the literature on
integration and interaction within the classroom (Deil-Amen, 2011; Lambie et al. 2002; Tinto,
1997, 1993), students shared that the relationships they had with the faculty played a significant
role in their ability to be successful and persist and provided examples of the engagements and
actions on behalf of the faculty members that made them perceive and believe the significance of
these relationships in relation to their persistence. The students’ interviews revealed that the
significance of these engagements was not limited to inside of the classroom, and also shared
several examples of significant interactions outside of the classroom by faculty and staff
members.

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Theme 1: Significant Faculty Engagement Inside of the Classroom
All six of the students acknowledged the significance of the engagement and integration
in the classroom by faculty. The following six examples demonstrate the significance of the
student and faculty relationships in the students’ ability to persist.
First, Julia shared,
I got to develop strong relationships with professors inside of the class that they help me
when I need them and I can reach out to them when I need them. Professors give you a
pep talk in the classroom–like come on you guys can do it. They want to keep you
motivated to not give up because like from most of my experiences its always like they
give you like a, not like a pep talk, but come on guys you can do it, like my child
development professor right now the class keeps getting smaller and she is like you guys,
like, I know it’s a struggle getting up and you are almost already done and it will be over
soon. And when you, just keep on and other professors too try to keep you motivated to
not to give up. Like its hard in the beginning but in the end you will reap the benefits.
When professors engage you inside of the classroom–you feel like you can go to their
office hours–it’s not intimidating.
Here, consistent with Tinto’s (1993) assertions about the importance of positive interactions with
faculty, Julia shares that her professor’s willingness to share his personal experience in class
helped her to feel connected to him. Similarly, the fact that some of her professors offered
encouragement encouraged her. Her experiences also align with Lambie et al.’s (2002) finding
that support and affection from teachers is important, particularly. This comes through most
specifically in Julia’s explanation of the pep talks that faculty would give her to stay motivated to
persist. Additionally, Julia shared that faculty member’s engagement inside of the classroom
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translated to a sense of being comfortable with attending their office hours. Her experience is
consistent with Deil-Amen’s (2011) assertion that faculty members play an important in helping
students find comfort and these feelings translate into the ability to approach teachers.
In a similar fashion, Gabriela shared,
Sometimes I was scared of asking for help and it was not until I met, I believe a
professor, and I talked to her about my situation it was ... Her name was Fatima Romero,
an English professor as well. She brought up the fee waiver that I could have applied for,
and I tried applying for the fee waiver. I didn’t know how to fill up the application, so I
had to look up for help, because I didn’t want to mess up my application, I wanted to
make sure I get that fee waiver, because I wanted to get that coverage. After taking
English when it was 26, I took English 28 with Rondan. Back in English 28, Rondan ...
She was very helpful. She would go over my essays and I think the most impacting
experience for me was getting my essays back with notes from Rondan saying, “You’re
doing a great job. I see how much effort you’re inputting.” Every essay was just smaller
notes that made a difference in my life. My last essay she said, “I see all of your
improvements, I’m very proud of you,” and I was able to pass that course with an A. I
took it for English 101, I took it for English 103. I got A’s on those classes as well. I
think she has impacted my life completely because she has been that one person that has
motivated me. She kind of knows that I’m an AB 540 student and that English is not my
stronger side. She has been there and she’s just the one that believes in me saying like, “I
know that you’re smart enough. You’re smart enough to write this. You’re very creative.
You’re doing this. You’re on the right track.” That has meant everything for me honestly,
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 91

everything; as a person, as how I’ve become, how I’m not afraid of speaking a second
language or to know that I am a critical thinker.
Gabriela’s example provided several engagements that were significant with faculty. She spoke
if the important role that her professor played in providing her with important feedback that she
was “doing a great job” and making improvement. Gabriela expressed the impact that the
positive engagement with the faculty member had made in her life and described her engagement
as “motivating” and that the engagement made her feel as though she was “smart enough” and
“on the right track.” Gabriela’s experience was consistent with Tinto’s (1993) assertions about
the ways in which interactions between students and faculty support persistence, Lambie et al.
(2002) suggestions that the interactions support and provide assistance to the student and Deil-
Amen’s (2011) suggestions that these types of relationships provide students with a sense of
belonging. Additionally, the discussions in class between the faculty member and the students
played a significant role in her ability to feel a part of the class because she was able to speak her
mind without judgement. Gabriela’s experience aligns with Zell’s (2010) findings in that the
characteristics that students found influential were open mindedness and enthusiasm.
Similarly, Rodrigo stated,
Definitely, all my professors are great, they all motivate me, they are not letting me slack
off, you know? Professor Ruizen, she’s an English professor at SoCal Community
College, she’s always like, she um, I don’t know she makes me smile because so far I’ve
been the only one getting A’s in her class and she’s like oh I really like your essay and I
really like this, oh and talk to me about this. And I will tell her about oh um and talk to
her about the essay and every single time that I get a little lower grade, she will tell me,
oh have you been slacking off, so you are giving up now, or something like that,
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 92

something funny, and I will be like no, I just had this, or I have been getting sick lately,
so I haven’t really had that much time to put that much effort, or sometimes I have just
been procrastinating, but I don’t tell her that. Um, yeah, definitely my professors, they
definitely challenge me. Turess knows what it’s like to be, to just um, study, with
studying at least. He knows what it’s like to be with like, sitting at home and how it is so
difficult because you have all these factors. Like you have your parents and you have
your siblings and Professor Turess also grew up near where I live. Citywide, is not far
from where we live and he knows even more than I do because he went to, he came here
as an immigrant and he went to SoCal Community College and he is a great example of
actually having to go through all those difficulties and he went to a bad school. He went
to Beachwood, you know that was a bad school back then, and he, and when I need to
talk to someone about, like problems, I would probably go to him. I don’t really go to
him about stuff like that, but yeah, definitely when I have to mention like religion also, he
was an altar boy, and stuff like that you know, he’s the person I would go to. But
definitely because he knows the Mexican culture, you know.
Here, Rodrigo’s explanation is in line with the environmental factors from the school that
Lambie et al., (2002) referenced including support, affection and assistance. In addition,
Rodrigo believed that his teachers challenged him to do his best work, even when that was not
something he was always able to do. This example aligns with Zell’s (2010) findings that
revealed students placed significant value on faculty members who held high expectations
concerning academic performance and demonstrated their commitment to the growth of the
student.
In a similar fashion, Miguel shared,
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Going to back to Professor Rondan, she actually would not only say it but bring resources
like “Take this or get the info for that.” One of the things that she implemented was going
to a writing center. Going to the writing for every class or every time we had a writing
assignment due. That was the first resource I took advantage of and since then I started
noticing they have that, or the computer lab, they have that. I started going every day,
every other week. I noticed that it actually helps. It actually encourages you to keep on
going on school and to come every day. Even though many teachers say “I care about
my student,” and all of that they don’t actually show it, they don’t actually take action on
that. Those that say “Even though you got a D on that assignment, you could improve by
doing this or that and you could go to the writing center or to that center or you could
come here during office hours and you could spend as much time as you need.” Teachers
that actually do that. Teachers or professors that actually give you more resources or
simple steps like that. They don’t only say it, but they actually take those actions. Going
back to Rondan, I’d been taking Rondan since my first semester in college until now. She
was the one that really got me to actually improve my English skills, actually care about
English. She was the most important teacher I had throughout my first year until now.
Besides that, I think it was my personal development teacher, a guy named Professor
Manilla. He was another one that I actually was able to connect with. He would share
stories about him and I was like, “I’m going through the same thing.” He was able to
transfer himself to USC and get a diploma from USC. He was one of the main guys that
influenced me to keep on going and that anyone could do it. For instance, I’m going
back to Rondan. She actually understands and mostly she exposes that understanding.
The first thing I noticed that she understood that is through the lecture that she did.
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Through the readings. That for instance she gives readings or assigns books that just
write similar ages I went through or things that actually I would care to read. I actually
would draw my attention to it. I remember that she would ask, what do you think about
this, or what do you think about that today? She would ask her students like if you guys
liked that book. She would actually put those feedback in action and she would actually
make the students be connected to the book and actually emphasize our culture of those
students.
In addition, Miguel shared another example where faculty engagement was significant and he
received feedback from the interaction,
besides going to see a tutor, especially in the writing center when it comes to writing
essays, I think see the professor, talking to the professor and trying to figure out what is
the main goal for the professor and what are they trying to see from the student. If I don’t
understand the question trying to reword it or rephrase it into something I would actually
understand. Going to office hours is a big thing that I would do.
In these examples, Miguel, like Rodrigo, believed this professor who challenged him
academically was being supportive by offering additional resources and feedback that were
significant to his learning and development. Additionally, he explained how it was significant
that his professor had listened to students’ feedback and responded by the incorporating more
culturally relevant content into her curriculum. Miguel’s experience is consistent with Shor
(1992) who emphasized the need for educators to listen to students and ask questions to learn
more about issues that are important to them. Incorporating various ways into the curriculum
where the students can see themselves respectfully and not stereotypically, is a way for faculty
members to bring culture into the classroom (Delpit, 2006).
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Another student, Estevan, stated,
Mrs. Rondan. She understands that we don’t only learn though her, we learn through
each other too, students. Putting in groups to read a book and talk about certain quote.
Everybody shares about that quote or talks about the book. Using their own personal life
experiences or whatever it’s going on in our community. Issues that are taking place now
and using them. I think the being able to learn from each other, the way she runs a class is
legit. She makes us think out the box, not only ... She makes you think out the box
through having us talk with one another, students. I don’t know. She’s cool, I just felt she
was a very important asset my first year. I think the fact that ... I don’t know. I think she
knew something with me. I think the fact that she knew my background, she ... You
would think that people would treat you bad, but she did the opposite. That feeling that
makes me feel that I’m worth it. You know how this was the time when I’m feeling a
little bit intimidated at work like I’m not smart enough. But her being able to look at me
like I am smart. I am smart, I am capable apparently because my teachers always putting
me to answer these questions. Even though she doesn’t tell me, but I feel like you know I
do have some type of knowledge in me. I am smart, I’m not dumb.”
Similar to the experiences of the other students, Estevan found it to be beneficial when faculty
members challenged him in class to provide input. In fact, the academic challenge provided by
the professor fostered his engagement, causing him to feel supported and that he was “worth it.”
Estevan found his professor’s actions helped him see himself as smart and capable “because my
teachers always putting me to answer these questions.” Consistent with findings from Deil-
Amen (2011), by the faculty member asking him questions, he achieved a sense of competency
because he was able to use his knowledge. His experiences are again consistent with both Tinto
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(1993) and Lambie et al., (2002) who asserted that faculty play an important role in ensuring
students are connected to school.
Another student, Emelia, stated,
I guess that the professors are, well most of them, are really cool and they’re actually ...
for me it’s that I’m learning new things every day when I go. It’s fascinating to realize
different things that are going on around the world and just different views and aspects of
each professor. Different things that you’re learning.
In this example, Emelia acknowledged the interactions on behalf of the faculty and the
significance of their efforts to bring different perspectives into the classroom that were relevant
to the events in the world. This perception aligns with the literature from Deplit (1996) and the
significance of bringing relevant information to the classroom for the students as a form of ways
to boost interaction.
Theme 2: Faculty Relationships with Students Outside of the Classroom
Four of the six students, or 66% of the second-year Latino community college students
who participated in this study also pointed to outside of the classroom relationships with faculty
as important in their persistence. For this analysis, I used the definition based on influential
environmental factors and the focus on student and adult relationships that are supportive and
caring in stressful learning environments as discussed by Reis et al. (2005). In addition, I also
used those environmental factors from the school that include: support, affection, and assistance
from teachers and other staff (Lambie et al., 2002). Consistent with the literature on integration
and engagement, both inside and outside of the classroom, and the necessity for these
interactions to be positive for the students to persist (Tinto, 1993), the students all shared positive
experiences and perceptions from the interactions. For example, Emelia shared,
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I think it wasn’t till my second year when I met Rondan that she really helped me a lot. I
met her actually my first year, during the end. I told her I was actually interested in the
SoCal Student club, and she was like “Oh yes, you should do it.” She was just talking to
me about what the program was. That you were going to be able to transfer, we’re going
to help out get classes. She seemed really cool and positive, so that’s what brought my
attention. That day was the deadline of the joining the program, so when she told me
“Just do it, and hopefully we can accept you. I’ll look into it and I’ll talk to all the other
people, so you could get in it for sure.” She didn’t know me so I think that was pretty
cool that she told me “Do it, and we’ll accept you. I think her actually talking to me
about the program and telling me “You’re going to be able to transfer with the program,”
and actually motivating me to come again the next year. Because there was times when I
was like, “I’ll just give up,” but once she told me like “Oh, hey just come back. Next
year we’re going to have the SoCal Student club, we’re going to have a lot of awesome
professors, you’re going to have classes for sure.” It motivated me. I was like “Oh, okay
then, I’ll come for sure back.” I think Rondan has been inspiring to me. She’s always
helping.
Here, in this example, Emelia explains how significant it was to her to have such an unexpected
and unusual experience with an instructor outside of the class. This professor made her feel
comfortable and provided her with a sense of motivation to return the second year and persist
through school. Emelia believed the faculty member cared for her because she took the time and
did not seem hurried or rushed during the engagement and that this added significance to the
engagement. Instead, she described the faculty member’s willingness to help her even when she
was not a student in her current class.
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Another of the six to share a very similar experience, was Rodrigo. He said,
Professor Rondan is really cool. She’s definitely helps us all out with, um, motivation. I
keep saying motivation because it is important, I do believe motivating someone to
continue with education is super important and she definitely does that with us. She’s a
great English teacher. I had her for English 103 and great professor, she talks to us, all of
us in the SoCal Student program, she keeps up with us and you know I find that super
important. When we went to the trip, she was with us. She went with us to the trip so we
like we even connected with her more because you know it wasn’t just like, oh yeah,
she’s just like our professor, she’s more of a friend too. Getting to know, she got to know
us, she’s like, she’s easy to talk to and I find that important.
Rodrigo acknowledged how important it was to him to be motivated by one of his professors as
he said, “and she definitely does that with us.” Rodrigo also communicated the significance of
the faculty member remaining engaged with the students in the SoCal Student program, “she
talks to us, all of us in the SoCal Student program, she keeps up with us and you know I find that
super important.” He also pointed to an example outside of the classroom when this professor
engaged him and other students, saying “she’s just friendly, really, she’s more of a friend, as
well, you know? Getting to know, she got to know us, she’s like, she’s easy to talk to and I find
that important.”
Another student, Miguel, stated,
Knowing that I was able to get into the program, SoCal Student, and get more involved.
Especially because of Professor Rondan, she was one of the main teachers that got me
involved in the school. Having more commitment to school and becoming a part of the
SoCal Student program I think made me more engaged in school because it made me
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ignore, not ignore but I do not bring back those labels into me, and become not only the
SoCal Student but the professors, knowing that SoCal Community College professors are
actually good and they are smart and proficient. More important, Rondan, she tries more
pointed office hours. She doesn’t strictly focus on 1 hour. One schedule. She will
provide, if you can’t make it to that schedule, tell me your schedule and I will arrange
something for you. I think that’s one of the things, making time out of your time to help
your students. Going back to the culture that she knows most of us, through the culture, I
have responsibility, we have to support our family too, that we have to provide some
financial income to the house. She not directly but indirectly, she gives that
understanding by making more time of her, like providing more time for students to
finish the assignment or to gain more support from her. For instance, a week before the
final, the whole week before the final she would give more hours. She would stay really
late just to check the essays, to prepare us for the final and that actually helped us because
I could go after work or I could go before work to go and study for the final.
Here, Miguel spoke of his perception that the faculty cared about him, how interacting with her
led him to believe that she could understand his culture, and how her engagement outside of the
classroom contributed to his success and persistence as a student.
Gabriela shared as similar experience,
When I was taking English 103, with Rondan, there was 3 weeks I was gone from school,
just like the 3 last weeks before the fall semester was over. I had two essays, I had a
research paper and I had just a regular essay based on the book to do. I knew I wasn’t
going to make it, I went and took my final exam, said, “Let me take the final,” but I knew
that there was no way of me turning in a 10-page research paper and 5-page essay. That
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was a week before it was all due, I couldn’t do it. I told her that my dad was going
through this. I didn’t know that there was such a thing of incompleted course, I wasn’t
aware of it, otherwise I would have done it with my other classes but I didn’t know until
she brought it up like two days before our final. I was not attending class, I was just
emailing her and we were just connected via phone. She would send out messages to me,
you know motivation, and she was able to do the whole incompletion process for me. She
gave me a whole year to turn in my paperwork because she knew I was struggling with
this personal issue, and I told her that I wasn’t going to be back until summer of the next
year, because I had to take care of my dad for the winter and for spring. She gave me a
whole year, she didn’t pressure me, although she would check up on me saying, “How
are you doing on your work? Are you getting anything done? Do you need me to look
over anything? Do you need help?” there was times where I would come by during class,
or in her class, and she was able to let me stay over her class to catch up on the subjects
that I left behind, to refresh my mind and that kind of idea that ... Then I did tell her that
summer that I wasn’t going to come back on summer, that I wanted to come back maybe
on fall because I wasn’t prepared for it. I felt that I had fell behind very, very strongly and
I didn’t know how to come back, so she ... That’s when I joined the SoCal Student
program because she thought that I could find more motivation and support from friends,
and to her that’s what I needed. I needed to find a group of people who were motivated to
change education-wise. I think it was kind of hard to come back to school afterwards, like
after being out for like 6, 3 ... By then it was like for almost 6 months now, so I told her I
was very afraid of coming in, that I needed to join a program. The deadline was done for
the SoCal Student program, everything was already closed out, but she spoke to Rondan
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and I was able to get in because of her. I think she was looking out for me. All she cared
was that I was back in school. I feel that was very intimate. That was very, very, very
meaningful. That was very personal as well. Always emails, like, “How’s your dad?
How are you doing?” She provided me with her phone number, like, “If you need
anything, this is my phone number.” She would message me through the semester, like
between semesters. You know like, “How are you doing with your work? Come by if you
need me to check anything for you. I’m going to be in my office.” I wasn’t so much
reaching out for her, but she was the one reaching out for me. It did make me feel a little
awkward because she was the one doing it, but I was becoming isolated from school. I
was not motivated, I was very sad about what was going on with my dad, but I had
professors like her who motivated me. The fact that it was a message and that it was
from her. She’s a professor, she has so many other things to do. She’s doing her classes,
prepping papers, her own personal ... I mean, she’s out there sending messages like, “I
hope everything is fine with you and you dad? I hope everything turned out to be okay?”
and you know like, “How are you doing with work? How’s your essay coming?” Just the
fact that she was emailing me just to figure out what was going on with me, that meant a
lot. That was motivation, like, somebody cares. A professor cares for me. My math
professor right now, I’m doing it every day. She’s at the math lab, she does her tutoring
hours at the math lab every day, Mondays through Thursdays before class. I’m always
there, I’m reaching out for her. I’m at the math lab and I’m constantly asking her
questions. Mainly my professors that I’ve gone and talked to like Professor Rondan that I
mentioned. Just recently I went to my professor from Chicano Studies because I told her
that I was falling into a stage where I was very lost with everything else I didn’t know
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what I wanted to do, I wanted to transfer out, I had not decided my major yet, and like
what to do. She shared with me her life experience on how It took her forever to get her
master’s, but now she finally got it in 2011. She shared to me her life experience of what
she went through, of how she had to put on hold her studies for a while. She was like,
“It’s fine. You don’t have to worry about it. Everything takes time. Everything’s just a
process. Everything will fit in at some point.”
In this example, Gabriela identified a particular experience that was “very, very, very
meaningful” to her because outside of the classroom actions taken by one of her professors,
reaching out to her and assisting her in joining the SoCal Student program because she felt she
could benefit from participating in it. In addition, the faculty member was able to get Gabriela in
the program after the deadline. This whole experience provided Gabriela with the perception
that “she was looking out for me,” making the engagement outside of the classroom that much
more significant to her success. Gabriela provided another example of engagement that occurred
outside of the classroom and was influential and provided the perception to Gabriela that her
professor cared, “just the fact that she was emailing me just to figure out what was going on with
me, that meant a lot. That was motivation, like, somebody cares. A professor cares for me.”
Julia shared,
Professor Barrios, he was my first English teacher. Like when I would ask for help he
would always help me and um, just um, last time we went to um this STOP conference, at
UCLA and he told me that, that his job was not mostly for him it was for his students. He
helped a couple students work on their personal statements the summer before in August
when the application opened, and he set up little boot camps like personal statement boot
camps and he would always like email back and forth asking how your personal
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statement was and asking us to send it to him so he could help us work on it and most of
us tell him that it was because of him we got into UCLA. Every year someone he helps
with that gets into UCLA, most of them, and we all say your personal statement and he
always says it’s not me, it’s you and I am very proud of all of you guys, I wouldn’t be
where I am where I am now if it wasn’t for you sharing your stories and looking for me
and me helping. That’s something that is really important. I seeked his help outside of
class and when you start to share your story, he kind of shared his story too, I guess you
kind of have some stuff to relate to because you feel like they understand you.
Here, in this example, Julia shared several commonalities with the other students and their
experiences, in that she felt a sense of connection, a sense of belonging due to the engagement of
the professor. The significance of this interaction between Julia and her professor was evident as
she said, “I seeked his help outside of class and when you start to share your story, he kind of
shared his story too, I guess you kind of have some stuff to relate to because you feel like they
understand you.” Julia believed that he understood her and this lead her to feel connected to
him. The professor also provided support and encouragement for her and spoke of how “proud”
he was of her and therefore she believed that he cared about her.
Theme 3: Staff Relationships with Students
Three of the six students, or 50% indicated that relationships with staff played a
significant role in their persistence. These three student’s counselors as being influential in their
persistence. The students expressed that the actions of their counselors demonstrated care for the
student and their educational endeavor. For example, Miguel shared,
There were actually two counselors. I was part of a program called SCC. I think the main
guy from that program, his name is Josue. The first day I went to apply for that program I
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spoke to him and he actually convinced me to apply and do the classes to apply for the
program. Since then he became a big important part, because I would go every time I
needed help on something or I couldn’t find a course, he would help me. Besides that, it
was my personal counselor that the program provided. Her name was Claudia. She would
sit next to me and actually go through the plan that I had. She would tell me “You should
take this teacher, because he would actually help you and well prepare you.” She would
give us advice and feedback that actually helped. One of the best experiences I had with
Claudia was that I needed a class and I couldn’t add that class, because it was full. She
actually went and spoke to the teacher and convinced her to add me to that class. That
was one of the points that I saw that I could actually rely on her. She has my back and she
could go beyond her duties to actually help me to do well in school. She actually cares.
She not only does it for the pay, but she does it for me, for the students who are trying to
improve themselves.
Miguel expressed that the engagement was significant between he and his counselor because
“Since then he became a big important part, because I would go every time I needed help on
something or I couldn’t find a course, he would help me.” In addition, he shared an experience
with another staff member that was significant and that he perceived from her actions that “she
has my back and she could go beyond her duties to actually help me to do well in school. She
actually cares.”
Similarly, Julia shared,
Counselor Josue nominated me for a summer program at UCLA and helped with
scholarships. Counselor Josue, he always, he took interest because he saw potential in
me to like succeed I guess if I really wanted to. There was this program called MEDPED
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because I told him I was interested in pursuing a career in medicine, and he said that was
something good to go for and he would let me know if there were any programs or
anything like that. We heard of the program a week before the application deadline and
he let me know and he said don’t worry about the recommendation, it didn’t matter, I
would turn it in even if it was a day before or hours before just do your part and he did.
And at the end of the first year he nominated me for a summer program at UCLA, a
partnership program and then just last year, this last semester he helped me apply for a
scholarship and he was having trouble submitting it, he stayed up to submit it before the
deadline at 6 in the morning. So I am really grateful for that.
Here, Julia provided many experiences with the staff member that were significant and
influential. For example, “counselor Josue nominated me for a summer program at UCLA and
helped with scholarships,” and “and at the end of the first year he nominated me for a summer
program at UCLA, a partnership program, and then just last year, this last semester he helped me
apply for a scholarship.” While the staff members’ actions might have been within their required
job duties, the significance of the interaction was Julia’s perception of the staff members’
actions, “counselor Josue, he always, he took interest because he saw potential in me to like
succeed I guess if I really wanted to.” Julia saw the staff members’ willingness to assist her as
an indication that he saw potential in her and he believed in her ability and that was significant
and influential in her persistence.
A third student, Emelia shared,
I go to my counselor. For this fall I’m basically almost done. I just need like two classes,
but I decided to stay to raise up my GPA. I’m planning to major in psychology and get a
minor in child development. I went to my counselor and I talk to him, “Oh, I’m not
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really sure what classes to take. I do want to minor in child development so I don’t know
if I can start doing that now.” Then he guided me and told me “Yeah, you can start
taking these classes, they match up with our classes, so that way when you transfer…it’s
less classes you have to take.” I’m taking advantage of fall and spring to take the classes
that are going to be worth it for my minor. When I was barely enrolling, I didn’t know
how you get a class or anything, so when I was talking to the counselor she told me to
apply for SCC, it was SCC back then, now it’s the SCE, I believe. She told me to do it
and I was like I might as well just do it. The counselor’s office, Margaret May, already
knows me because I always go and ask her for the educational plan. I think that’s
important because if you don’t know what classes you’re taking then you’re just going to
sit here forever. Her, she’s really helped me out and organized my classes and to help me
transfer out.
In her example, Emelia believed the staff wanted to help her in achieving her goal of being
successful and transferring, “she’s really helped me out and organized my classes and to help me
transfer out” and “yeah, you can start taking these classes, they match up with our classes, so that
way when you transfer…it’s less classes you have to take.”
Overall, the data revealed that the student relationships with faculty and staff played a
vital role in their ability to persist. Variations emerged in the types of relationships that the
students perceived to be influential; relationships between faculty and students and relationships
between staff and students. Students acknowledged that the interactions occurred inside and
outside of the classroom and the students shared multiple positive examples of engagements
between themselves and faculty and staff. In addition, the students shared the significance of
these engagements and how they perceived that the faculty and staff cared about them due to
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their actions. In a similar way, the literature on integration and interaction supported the
significance of the engagement between faculty and students and staff and students (Deil-Amen,
2011; Lambie et al. 2002; Tinto, 1997, 1993). The students shared that the experiences were
influential due to their positive nature. These experiences align similarly with the literature on
integration and the need for the interaction to be positive (Tinto, 1993). The students also shared
that in particular the interactions were influential in their persistence because of the support and
assistance that the interactions provided to them (Lambie et al. 2002; Tinto, 1993) and how these
engagements provided them with a sense of belonging (Deil-Amen, 2011).
Finding 2: Connections to Similarly Situated Peers Played an Important Role in the
Students’ Ability to Persist
Data analysis revealed that the connections that students had with similarly situated peers
was influential in their ability to persist. For my analysis, I drew from the literature that
discussed the significance of the interactions inside of the classroom between students and their
peers (Tinto, 1997). In addition, Tinto (1993) discussed the necessity for the interactions to be
positive between peers, both inside and outside of the classroom and the significance of these
positive interactions for students’ persistence. Bean and Metzner (1985) also identified a
correlation between social integration and relationships on campus with peers and the
satisfaction with these relationships. Deil-Amen (2011) emphasized the significance of student
to student relationships, and how these relationships play a significant role in students’ ability to
adjust, find comfort, a sense of belonging or competence in their role as a college student.
Within this finding, there were four themes that emerged. The first theme was how the second-
year Latino community college students who participated in this study detailed ways in that their
affiliation with other Latino students enrolled at their community college played a significant
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role in their connection to the school, their ability to overcome hardships they faced outside of
school, and allowed them to feel as they were part of the school. The second theme was how the
students specifically engaged in activities in order to connect with their school peers. While
study participants did find important connections with other Latino students, they also not
exclusively seek out relationships with students of the same ethnicity or race. The third theme to
emerge was that they connected with peers who faced similar family dynamics and these
connections helped them negotiate the complex competing messages they receive from their
families and their environment. The fourth theme to emerge from the students’ interviews was
that they shared similar goals with the students they affiliated with. These goals were to transfer
from the community college, to be commitment to school, and to seek a high GPA in school.
Theme 1: Students’ Affiliation with other Latino Community College Students Played an
Influential Role in Their Ability to Connect to School And Overcome Hardships Faced
Outside of School
Five of the six of the Latino students interviewed, or 85%, provided in detail ways that
having affiliations with other Latino students enrolled at their community college played a
significant role in their persistence by connecting them to school and the enabling them to
overcome hardships they experienced outside of school. For example, Emelia stated “This
school’s majority Mexicans so I guess just coming to school and being a part of the school kind
of shows that connection to the culture.” Emelia suggested that she felt that being Mexican, and
attending a school where the majority of the students were Mexican meant that the school was
connection to her culture. Similarly, Rodrigo shared,
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I fit in. I fit in definitely because there’s Hispanics and there are Asians. We fit in. I
don’t know if I would fit in at [another community college], it’s just, I wouldn’t fit in
there just because there are a lot of white people I guess, I don’t know.
Rodrigo felt he “fit in” at this community college specifically because he shared the same
ethnicity as the other students on campus. Moreover, he is clear that he would not fit in as well at
another community college because “there are a lot of white people I guess,” therefore,
suggesting that Rodrigo’s connection to school was, at least in part, driven by his perception that
he shared the same ethnicity as other students attending.
Additionally, Miguel shared,
Campus, probably, I can only say that my culture has helped me fit into SoCal
Community College because I can see that SoCal Community College is most Mexican-
Americans or Hispanic Latinos so not have to struggle to fit into SoCal Community
College. I think during the time that I went to the program Puente, yes. Even though we
have different perspectives, yeah, that environment of having the spirit or being proud of
SoCal Community College made me fit into that and how they are really active in school
too and they have a lot of things going on made me fit into that thing. I think especially
because 90% of people that are in Puente share the same culture and mostly are Hispanic
or Latino. They share the same culture so we could rapidly combine or understand each
other. I think yeah, definitely I could fit in to most groups.
Miguel expresses his belief that his being “Mexican-American and Hispanic Latinos” enabled
him to “fit into” his school and not “struggle.” In addition, Miguel indicated that his
membership in the Puente program in high school helped him feel connected to SoCal
Community College because “90% of people that are in Puente share the same culture and
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mostly are Hispanic or Latino. They share the same culture so we could rapidly combine or
understand each other.”
In a similar way, Gabriela stated,
There’s a lot of, our Chicano study program has gotten very expanded at SoCal
Community College, so I’m able to talk to people who have the same, who are not
ashamed of claiming from where their parents come from, so I feel that I more identify
with these people. I feel like I can contribute with them in the same way as people who
were born here, who have the same ... Not the same experience, but they have the same
backgrounds and roots just like I do. I’m able to get along with them. You can say that.
I’m able to share my experience without being after that they might judge me because I
met a few people on campus, Chicano activists, students. They admire that and they
appreciate that I share to them, or like that experience that I share to them. I found that
they don’t judge me about, or when I do share my experience, they admire how realistic it
is. It makes me feel like I’m loved.
In this example, Gabriela expressed feeling a connection to the school because it was “a big
center of Mexican-American students.” She suggested that the Chicano study program allowed
her to “to talk to people who have the same, who are not ashamed of claiming from where their
parents come from, so I feel that I more identify with these people” and that “don’t judge me.”
Another student, Julia shared,
I think the programs and the people that go there. It makes it comfortable. You can
identify with them because they are your race and your ethnicity. I feel comfortable
because these people represent my community, and they represent the Hispanic
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community and when you go to SoCal Community College its predominantly Hispanic.
Although there are other ethnicities, I still feel comfortable and I feel supported.
As with the other students, Julia identified that the reason she felt comfortable was because “you
can identify with them because they are your race and your ethnicity.” She continued to discuss
a level of comfort because “these people represent my community, and they represent the
Hispanic community,” and she shared that she perceived the college to be “predominantly
Hispanic.”
Theme 2: Students Engaged in Activities for the Purpose of a Connection to their School
Peers.
All six students of the students acknowledged that they engaged in activities to connect
with their school peers. In addition, the second-year Latino community college students who
participated in this study indicated that they did not have to connect with peers of the same race
or ethnicity. Consistent with Deil-Amen (2011) and Tinto (1997, 1993), believed it was
important to engage in activities at school for the purpose of connecting with peers. For
example, Estevan shared,
Because my friends, they’re part of the program that I joined. Ms. Rondan persuaded me
to join that SoCal Student Program, and ever since I joined the SoCal Student Program,
and I started the program with that cohort, I felt that I built a relationship with them. Like
I said, I always had friends who had- probably, in school, if I would have grown up in
middle school, I would not hang out with a certain crowd, because I’d be like, “They’re
not cool.” Now, I don’t care about that. I feel like that the group of kids from SoCal
Student; they’re pretty cool. They’re chill. I feel like I have a lot to offer to them, just like
they do to me. They might know things that I might not know about. They might be
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experts on something that I’m not, but at the same time, I think that I’m also helping
them. I think just the fact that I’m able to be a part of another type of group. All my life
I’ve been in institutionalized, jail and follow the rules. In jail and then being with people
who are happy to sass. We all have problems in the world with fighting. Now I’m in
college with people who are just came out of high school. I’m catching up to my moment
you know. I’m catching up to where I left off I guess. Being able to become friends with
other types of people, like people who’ve never been incarcerated for ... They don’t need
to know my background. I’m just friends with them and eventually it comes out. I think
that’s the best part of it. Being able to build new relationships with new type of people.
We’re trying to just pursue something. We all have some type of dream, whether we have
a struggle or not. I feel that I’ve been able to see that there’s so much potential within the
youth. I love seeing people learn. I love being in class and also having other students to
share my experience.
Here, Estevan discussed the significance of finding peers he could connect to. He believed he
had “a lot to offer them, just like they do me.” This perception from Estevan aligns with the
sense of competence as a college student that comes with engaging with peers (Deil-Amen,
2011). Additionally, he found value in “being able to build new relationships with new type of
people. People that if I would’ve been in my gang or that individual, I would never hang out with
those people like that.” Here, Estevan discussed how participation in activities has provided him
the opportunity to connect with others and build relationships that helped him connect to school.
Miguel stated,
I think that I tried to during a class I try to bond with every peer I see or try to connect
and try to create that environment. I think I was strongly influenced by my culture. It’s
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the culture that strongly emphasized that, having a strong family base or a family vibe
throughout your life is something that, again it’s come through my culture.
In this example, Miguel provided an example of who he is in the classroom, “that I tried to
during a class I try to bond with every peer I see or try to connect and try to create that
environment.” In this case, the activity is engagement of a peer for the purpose of building a
connection. In addition, Miguel perceived that his ability to engage peers from varying
backgrounds “was strongly influenced by my culture. It’s the culture that strongly emphasized
that, having a strong family base or a family vibe throughout your life is something that, again
it’s come through my culture.”
Gabriela shared,
The people you meet in college, how you interact with people, it just molds you to who
you want to be in life. Who are you? That question like, who are you? You start
adapting and taking different experiences, different courses, different knowledge, and
then you start building up on yourself, you start working on yourself. I guess the unity
that SoCal Community College has. I constantly see a lot of activities going on inside
school. Other things, SoCal Student club and others, it’s helpful because you have
connections; I felt like I found my family.
Here, Gabriela discussed how she has found through engagement in activities, a connectedness
to peers, “SoCal Student club and others, it’s helpful because you have connections; I felt like I
found my family.” She provided several examples of meeting people in college and “how you
interact with people, it just molds you to who you want to be in life.” She discussed a unity that
the campus had and how this could be observed in the activities that she attended and connected
with her peers. For example, she shared how she had “just recently went to watch a play at our
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theater in SoCal Community College and it was so fun seeing all these actors being people of
color and portraying other characteristics and I fell in love with it.”
Rodrigo also how it was important to connect to peers who had similar experiences to
him. He said,
And that trip that I went to Stanford, with the SoCal Student program, it motivated me,
like that guy that was talking to us was like yeah, you know I’m, I came from, he said he
was from somewhere around here, I go here, you know and you can too.
Here, Rodrigo shared how his interaction with a person who had made it to Stanford allowed him
to see that it was within his ability to attend the same as he said, “you know I’m, I came from, he
said he was from somewhere around here, I go here, you know and you can too.”
Julia provided several examples of peer connections she and activities that were
important to her.
When I went to NorCal, the NorCal trip with Adelante, I met a couple of students that
were Asian, and um, they were really nice and they share and they open up to you and
they share their story and they tell you everything, you know? Not everything, but they
just open and let their guard down and it is something that you never think of. You see
them as they are very reserved and they wouldn’t want to talk to you, but they actually do
and they want to share their story. Now I see them in school and they say “hi.” I guess I
walked into the Adelante office at the right time and at the right moment and just from
there friendships grew and we just, um, we allowed ourselves to share our experiences to
make us connect more. To allow us to connect more and understand each other. It
wasn’t just like, well your name is so and so, and “hi see you later.” It’s more like “hey
how are you?” and oh I was going to go to this school, but this and this happened. They
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tell you their story, like right away they open up to you and they trust you. You don’t
have to work hard to earn it, they give it to you and you feel like, you feel honored to
kind of have their trust right away. Networking with your peers, you kind of build a
support group, a network of people that can help you when you need help so you don’t
feel alone. Finding a support group that you can feel included or feel part of campus.
Adelante/SCE built strong communities of students to help each other and not feel
alienated, like we didn’t belong there.
In this example, Julia discussed attending an activity where she engaged with fellow peers, “I
went to NorCal, the NorCal trip with Adelante.” Julia shared in this example that during the trip
she was able to connect and engage with peers by sharing each other’s stories, “they share and
they open up to you and they share their story and they tell you everything, you know? Not
everything, but they just open and let their guard down and it is something that you never think
of.” In addition, Julia discussed the significance of connecting to peers and attending activities
for the purpose of connection, “networking with your peers, you kind of build a support group, a
network of people that can help you when you need help so you don’t feel alone. Finding a
support group that you can feel included or feel part of campus.” Julia also expressed that her
participation in the Adelante program has also provided her a strong sense of connectedness to
the campus because of the connection with peers, “Adelante/SCE built strong communities of
students to help each other and not feel alienated, like we didn’t belong there.”
Emelia found her interactions with her peers to be important because they motivated her.
She shared,
They’re all very motivating. We all motivate each other, especially for the program.
Amy, she was telling me last time, “I’m so tired. I just want to give up. I don’t want to do
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anything.” I’m just like, “Come on. We’re almost there. We’re almost going to be done
with the semester.” It’s just about motivating each other. I know other people that are
like, “Yeah, I’m tired too.” I’m like, “I’m pretty sure everybody’s tired but we got to do
this. We’re almost done. Let’s just do our work. Well because I was motivated but not as
much, that’s why I’m doing SoCal Student, so I think seeing other students working hard
and doing their stuff. The SoCal Student, what they do is they take us to trips, recently
we had a 4-day trip to different UC’s and we saw campuses, then we talked to professors
and students that were there and that is motivating saying “Oh I can come to this campus
soon. I’ll transfer to this campus.” I think that’s very motivating.
Emelia explained how she and her peers were continually providing motivation to each other,
particularly in times of struggle, “we all motivate each other, especially for the program.” In
addition, Emelia acknowledged that being with similarly situated peers provided her with
support that she needed and knew she had previously lacked. As she said, “I think seeing other
students working hard and doing their stuff” helped her to be more motivated than she otherwise
would have.
Theme 3: Students Connections to Other Peers Facing Similar Family Dynamics Helped
Them Negotiate Complex Competing Messages They Received from Their Families and
Their Environment.
For this analysis, I drew on the literature that focused on the connectedness to peers for
support, comfort and unity (Bean & Metzner, 1985; Deil-Amen, 2011; Tinto, 1997, 1993). Data
analysis of the students’ interviews revealed that two of the six students, or 33% shared how they
negotiated situations with their families and their environment and sought assistance and found
refuge in relationships with peers in similar situations. Rodrigo shared “We will talk about how
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it’s a little hard to manage family especially, and school, so we do relate.” In this context,
Rodrigo discussed how with his peers from the SoCal Student Program they share the difficulties
in managing family and school and how this provides a sense of connectedness and comfort
among them; they are unified through their struggles, “so we do relate.”
Similarly, Julia shared,
I like how they are very humble and helpful and very hardworking. In spite of them
being like them, oh my god I hate this class and I don’t want to go, they still go and they
put in the effort and despite like all the challenges, that some have shared, like I don’t
want to do this, and all these things that are happening to them or have happened to them,
they are still there and are trying to do something of themselves and their family. You
could also meet people that are kind of like you, that share the AB540 experience and
maybe they have more information about resources for AB540 students that I haven’t or
maybe that I have and I can share with them.
Here, in this example, Julia shared how her fellow classmates managed similar struggles with
being an AB540 student and how engaging with these peers could be beneficial. She both saw
them as resources and also thought she could be a resource for them as they faced similar
challenges.
Theme 4: Students’ Goals Were Similar to or the Same as Their Friends
For this analysis, I drew from the literature from Deil-Amen (2011) and the
connectedness to peers for the purposes of competence as a college student. In addition, students
found support in their peers based on goal-sharing, logic towards pursuit of goals and goal-
focused mentality. Data analysis of the students’ interviews revealed that all six of the students
had similar goals to those of their peers. The goals they found most in common with their peers
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was the desire to transfer, their overall commitment to school and the desire to be academically
successful and receive a high GPA as a result. The literature also revealed that a significant
predictor in retention was overall cumulative GPA (Hawley & Harris, 2005). Julia shared an
overall commonality amongst herself and her peers and that was “well, we all want to transfer.”
Estevan shared,
We all want to get over school, done with school with good grades, high GPA. We all
want to go to ... We’re all trying to avoid Cal State’s, and go straight to UC’s, because we
believe that we’re already in community college, so we’ve got to skip Cal State’s, and go
to UC’s. Most of my friends care about issues similar to the one I care. They’re all
actively involved in campus, and they want to have—just like I do—not a job, because a
job is something you don’t like; something you wake up to, and you don’t really want to
do it, but you have to do it, because that’s the only way to survive. I believe that most of
my friends, they want to have a career.
Here, Estevan discussed the commonalities of goals amongst his peers. In this example, Estevan
shared “we all want to get over school, done with school with good grades, high GPA.” In
addition, he discussed the commonality in the desire to transfer. Estevan further expressed other
commonalities between him and his peers in that, “they’re all actively involved in campus.” In
addition, he found that his friends shared his same goal of having a career, something they
wanted to be doing with their lives, rather than a career, something they felt they needed to be
doing in order to survive.
Gabriela shared,
People I associate with ... I feel that yes, our goal is to transfer to a 4-year college. It’s
very nice to have a group of people who have the same goals and vision as you do
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because they’re constantly pushing you or you see them in class and how motivated they
are to pass a test or catching up on like, “How did you do on your assignment?” With the
group of people that I associate with, they try to ask you questions, you ask them
questions, so you’re able to share here and there. It’s all the effort they put in too because
they have the same goal as you, transferring out. I think what draws me, my relationship
with them is their goals. I feel that those have been the reasons why I still associate with
these people or why I want to continue to associate with these people because they have
visions and they have goals of changing, of helping others out.
In this example, Gabriela expressed similarities in the goals of she and her peers and focused on
the connectedness that she felt to her peers due to similarities in their goals, transferring to a 4-
year college. She believed that the similarities in their goals enabled them to push and motivate
each other to be successful.
Similarly, Miguel stated,
I think they [his peers] have that commitment to school. I noticed that hanging out with
them I was able to become more sensitive outside of school. Outside of my house,
outside of my family. I remember back when I used to hang out with my old friends, I
wouldn’t do that, I wouldn’t explain myself. I wouldn’t until, “Oh, I’m going to do this.”
Or, “I’m having struggles with school. Can you help me on that?” I wouldn’t focus, I’d
focus on other things. I would because they have strong minds, strong heart, I wouldn’t
show my feelings to my old friends. I think that’s one thing I like about these friends, that
I can keep really open minded, open-hearted and thinking support from, and support to do
better at school, and be more welcome to school. More engaged into coming to school.
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Here, Miguel saw his peers as sharing his commitment to school. Additionally, Miguel
experienced a sense of support from his peers who shared similar goals and this support has
enabled him to engage more in school and persist.
Rodrigo stated,
So far none of my friends, well here, none of my friends have like end up dropping out of
school or thought about just going to work. They all really want to transfer out. It is
definitely a common goal we all have. We all want to go to a good school. We all want
to go to a good university and transfer out in 2 years. My friends here, they are, they
don’t slack off. They know what they are talking about and I can have a good
conversation with them.
Here, Rodrigo discussed the commonality in goals with his friends in the desire to transfer, and
to transfer in two years, “they all really want to transfer out. It is definitely a common goal we
all have. We all want to go to a good school. We all want to go to a good university and transfer
out in 2 years.” Rodrigo also referenced the commitment of his friends and how that is also a
common goal; “they don’t slack off.” However, a difference in Rodrigo’s quotation versus his
fellow peers is his focus on the conversations that he has with his peers that share similar goals,
“I do enjoy those conversations with my friends from college because they are more not
educated, but yeah I guess educated, they are more educated, they know what they are talking
about and how to respond.” He discussed how these conversations focused on school and
allowed him a sense of competence as a college student and this is consistent with the literature.
Emelia also shared the commonalities in goals with her peers, however, different than the
other examples, Emelia provided that the peers she shares similar goals with are in the SoCal
Student Program.
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To transfer, that’s one of the goals that ... Most of my friends with SoCal Student, that’s
their main goal, to transfer, but we all do have different majors. Everybody has a different
route that they’re going to go to. I don’t think I know anyone that has a psycho major.
Most of them are totally different stuff. Most of them are sociology majors.
Emelia found that, even though she and her peers had different majors, they all shared the same
goal of transferring.
The connections students had with similarly situated peers was influential in their ability
to persist. The students shared variations in the types of connections. First, second-year Latino
students shared that their connections with other Latino students played an influential role in
their ability to persist, their connectedness to campus and their ability to overcome hardships
they faced outside of the school. In a similar way, the literature supported the significance of
these relationships and the role they play in the student’s ability to adjust, find comfort, a sense
of belonging or competence in their roles as a college student (Deil-Amen, 2011). Second, the
students identified specific experiences that they chose to engage in activities for the purpose of
connectedness with their school peers. Third, the students connected with peers who faced
family dynamics that were similar and assisted them in negotiating the competing messages they
were received from their environment. In similar way, the literature supported the significance
of connectedness to peers (Deil-Amen, 2011; Tinto, 1997, 1993). Fourth, the students found
connections with students whom shared similar goals, particularly in the desire to transfer,
overall commitment to school and desire to attain academic success and as a result have a high
GPA. The literature supported connectedness with peers due to commonalities in goals and for
the purpose of competence as a college student (Deil-Amen, 2011). Despite variations in the
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types of connections, the students shared the vital role that connectedness with similarly situated
peers played in their ability to persist.
Finding 3: Students Accessed Outside of School Resources and Expressed the Significance
of these Resources in their Ability to Persist
Analysis of the data revealed from the students’ interviews that they accessed outside of
school resources and acknowledged that these resources played a significant role in their
persistence. For the purposes of this analysis, those outside resources that the students accessed
will be considered community. The literature refers to community to include resources, mentors,
neighbors, and church members. A community serves as a resource and a primary contributing
resource for social capital (Lambie et al., 2004). In addition, the literature revealed that if the
student had the support from the community, that this support could build and foster beneficial
relationships. The support that can be derived from these relationships can come in the forms of
school or spiritual support (Cerna et al., 2008).
Of the six second-year Latino community college students interviewed, only one student
reported being a parent and having the dual responsibility of being a parent and a student. Bean
and Metzner (1985) found that one of the most influential environmental variables that affected
students’ ability to persist was in their ability to make childcare arrangements. Emelia shared her
experience, identifying childcare arrangements as an environmental factor, and how she was able
to overcome the obstacle and remain in school. Emelia stated
Because in the first year I didn’t have childcare. That was until they said that I was able
to get childcare. She was always ... not always because she works so it’s hard for her to
take care of my daughter, but there was days when I really, really, really, have no one to
take care of her and she worked that night, my Mom. She would work night shifts, and
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the morning, she would sacrifice it sometimes and try to stay awake as much as she could
to take care of my daughter. I think they really helped me out a lot in coming to school.
Because she would sacrifice her sleeping time to take care of my daughter. That
motivated me too because I was like My Mom’s not sleeping to take care of my daughter
so I can come to school. I think that was really helpful and motivating. Yeah, so, for
Marietta’s daycare. I applied for study hours so what they do is they give me extra hours
to study for homework or whatever I have to do that has to do with school. After class I
usually go to the library and try to do my homework and my assignments or go to office
hours if I can.
Here, Emelia identified the sacrifices of her mother and expressed how influential her mother’s
role as the caretaker of her daughter was to her ability to be persistent in school. In addition,
Emelia perceived her mother’s actions as being motivational and how this influenced her
motivation in school. She also shared that the childcare program provided her assistance so that
she could focus on school.
Consistent with the literature (Lambie et al., 2004; Zell, 2010), community included
mentors who provided support to students, particularly in relation to access to social capital. The
following two students, or 33%, shared that they had access to mentorship within the community
and these relationships provided them with social capital that influenced their ability to persist.
For example, Julia shared,
I went to UCLA for a summer program after my first year of college and I was there for a
week and now I have a mentor there and I have done workshops there where there were
speakers who told us that we belong there that were Hispanic and you believe that.
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Here, Julia’s experience after her first year of college provided her with a mentor and a sense of
connectedness to UCLA because of the Hispanic ethnicity of the individual who conducted the
workshop.
Similarly, Estevan said,
I guess it would be my mentor Scott, some other girl named Anna. She used to work for
the non-profit, she was a policy director, something director in the California Center for
Justice another non-profit in Cali. Her and probably like two other people initially that
were there. Like I say, even though I had all these person, I have those moments ... I’ll
have those moments when I feel like going back to jail. I didn’t feel like doing a crime or
nothing. I just felt like being back in my cell because I feel that being out was too much
sometimes. I feel that it was too much, that I couldn’t take it. I didn’t know how to
communicate this to people. That I would feel down, I would feel lonely and sad you
know. That eventually I was able to open up like I was telling you. Open up to Anna and
my mentor. She was there since day one. She’s the one that she was dealing with me
every single day in her office. I would be sitting in her office because I was lonely. When
I was moving in house in, I would talk to her. “I feel like I just want to go back to jail
man.” “Why?” And “I don’t know, because I miss my cell. I could be by myself and I
could read my Bible peacefully and I could feel good. Even though I’m in the worst part I
don’t want to be but at least I have that comfortableness. In jail I had that time where I
could meditate in my own cell with my own thoughts, with my own mind. Just reflect and
think to myself. Now I can’t even do that out here, because there’s too much shit going
on, you know.” I think that was challenging for me, my transition in the beginning and
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then being able to listen to me and understand me. That’s what helped me through my
first year. Because I was able to tell them.
Estevan explained that the two individuals within the community who served as mentors for him
during his first year out of jail were incredibly influential in his life. These individuals,
especially Anna, were there to listen to him and provide him support when he needed them the
most.
Another example of accessing community resources emerged from four of the six
students, or 66%, who revealed that they took advantage of the Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals, also known as DACA (USCIS.gov; 2016).
1
The following examples demonstrate how
these students, when afforded the opportunity to attend college and remain in the United States
because of DACA, took advantage of the opportunity. Gabriela said,
After I graduated high school I didn’t want to go to college because I was an AB-540
student. I felt like I didn’t have any help, I felt I didn’t have any hopes to attend. What
for? What am I going to major, and once I major it, what am I going to do? I don’t know.
I’m not a US citizen so what am I going to… I’m not going to get the job I want. The
Dream Act [DACA] passed and then that motivated me to go to college. I’m here with
the work permit now thanks to DACA.
Here, Gabriela explained that, before DACA, she believed there was no reason to go to college.
She did not believe she had any help or hopes. Yet once DACA passed, she saw it as a
motivation to go to college. It also provided her with support as she was able to obtain a work
permit.
Similar to Gabriela, Julia shared,

1
For the purposes of this analysis, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals will be referenced as DACA,
however, one of the students also referred to DACA as the “Dream Act.”
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DACA came in and it was like, ok I can use this permit to work and have an income here
and maybe that’s a success. I was like or maybe I could go to school and whatever I
make of the time of the permit [DACA] then I make, um whatever I make during that
time, it will be enough whether I get my AA or don’t get it, I am still going to school and
learning. I saw opportunity [DACA] and took full advantage.
Here, Julia provided her experience and outlook on DACA. She alluded to the possibility of
DACA being short-term, “I was like or maybe I could go to school and whatever I make of the
time of the permit [DACA].” However, she also explained that she was going to make the best
of the time that she was being given and “took full advantage” of the opportunity afforded by
DACA.
The data revealed that students accessed resources outside of school and found the
accessibility to be influential in their ability to persist. One student accessed childcare
arrangements as outside resources in support of school and shared the significance of this
opportunity in their ability to persist. In a similar way, the literature supported the influence of
the ability to make childcare arrangements on the student’s ability to persist (Bean and Metzner,
1985). Students also acknowledged accessing outside resources for the purpose of mentorship
and access to social capital (Lambie et al., 2004; Zell, 2010). One particular example students
provided that demonstrated their use of outside resources and their access to social capital was
opportunity provided through DACA.
Finding 4: Students Own Problem-Solving Efforts Supported Their Ability to Persist
All six students communicated that their ability to persistence was connected to their
ability to solve problems they confronted in the classroom and the relationships they formed with
school faculty and staff and similarly situated peers. With respect to problem-solving, two
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themes emerged. First, all six students advocated for themselves inside of the classroom, after
class and during office hours. Second, students actively took advantage of resources that existed
inside of the school. With respect to the role of supportive relationships, two themes emerged.
The students acknowledged significant faculty and staff relationships that were influential in
their ability to persist. These relationships between faculty and staff and the students helped
them access resources, feel connected to the school, and helped them believe someone cared
about them. In addition, the students articulated the importance of having connections to
similarly situated peers. I will present these themes in order, speaking to the ways in which
students advocated for themselves inside and outside of the classroom and then turn my attention
to the role relationships with faculty, staff, and peers played in their ability to persist.
Theme 1: Students’ Ability to Solve Problems Related to their Academic Success Played an
Important Role in Their Persistence
All six, or 100% of the second-year Latino community college students pointed to their
ability to solve problems as an important component of their ability to persist through to the
second year. Problem solving was expressed by the students in three sub-themes. The first sub-
theme was that students engaged in problem solving to overcome obstacles inside of the
classroom that they believed impede their success. The second sub-theme was that students
advocated for themselves to access academic resources when they believed they needed to. The
third sub-theme focused on how students took advantage of resources that they could access
through the college. Bernard (2004) described problem solving as a “figuring-things-out-
quality” and identified critical thinking as an important component to problem solving. In
addition, Benard (2004), found that individuals who were able to think abstractly and find
alternative solutions to both social and cognitive problems were exhibiting good problem solving
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skills. Researchers have also found that resilience has been correlated with solving problems
(Hassinger & Plourde, 2005; Masten & Coatsworth, 1998; Reis, Colbert, & Hebert, 2005).
Sub-Theme 1: Overcoming Behaviors that had Previously Impeded Their Success.
With respect to solving problems that had impeded students’ success in high school, three of the
six students spoke about overcoming was behaviors that they had engaged in that had made it
harder for them to be successful in the classroom. Miguel, Rodrigo, and Emelia
indicated that they had made mistakes in high school by hanging around with peers who did not
care about school, who were not interested in school work, and who did not support their
success. They solved this problem in college, by recognizing it and actively choosing peers who
they knew they could count on to help them when they needed help with homework or someone
to work with who shared similar commitments to school. For example, Miguel shared,
I think I just started to hang out with people that actually care about school, actually
focus on school and are committed to school. That’s what I just noticed, that I’m starting
to hang out with friends that actually care about school, that have a big commitment to
school, instead of when I was in high school and when I started to come to college. I
noticed that big difference.
Here Miguel explains that he changed his peer group by starting to hang out with peers who were
focused on school. He said, “I’m starting to hang out with friends that actually care about
school, that have a big commitment to school, instead of when I was in high school and when I
started to come to college.” In this example, Miguel demonstrated the “figuring-things-out
quality” by engaging peers who had a commitment to school and cared about school, peers in
college who were different than his high school peers.
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Rodrigo echoed a similar problem solving technique in choosing peers who were
different than those he chose in high school.
I am not going to go with the college friends that resemble my high school friends. I like
to talk to the ones that are more like, they have their stuff together, they know what the
homework is and they have done their homework and I’ve done my homework too and
get good grades on their essays and I get them too.
Rodrigo recognized that spending time with “college friends that resemble my high school
friends” was counterproductive to his ability to succeed in school. Miguel demonstrated the
“figuring-things-out-quality” by acknowledging that when choosing peers in college, he chose
individuals who were showing a similar commitment to school by completing their work and
getting good grades.
Similarly, Emelia chose friends who she believed would engage in behaviors that
supported her ability to be successful over the types of students she had spent time with in high
school. She said,
Yeah, I met Susana, I met some girl named Nina and another girl Carla. We were always
together helping each other out. I felt like I was being Mom, because they were always
messing around in class. I’d always tell them listen, pay attention. I was close to them
but then I stayed away from them a little bit during class because I knew it if I was with
them too much it as just going to bring my grades down. I was with them most of the
time when I was outside of class, but inside of class I would just stay on my own and
focus.
In this example, Emelia explains how she initially was very close to Susana, Nina and Carla,
spending a significant amount of time with them outside of class. Yet, she chose to minimize her
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interactions with them inside of the classroom as she realized that interacting with them inside of
the classroom would impede her success, and impact her grades in a negative way. She went on
to say,
I’d always tell them listen, pay attention. I was close to them but then I stayed away from
them a little bit during class because I knew it if I was with them too much it as just going
to bring my grades down.
Emelia’s ability to foster the close relationships with her peers outside of class, and not allow the
relationships to have an impact on her grades inside of the classroom is an example of problem
solving and “figuring-things-out-quality.”
Sub-Theme 2: Students Advocated for Themselves to Access Academic Resources
They Believed They Needed. The second theme that emerged was students’ ability to advocate
for themselves inside and outside of the classroom. Six out of the six, or (100%) of the students
said that they could not count on others to get their needs met. All of the students expressed that
while there were people and resources available at the school, they believed they would not be
successful if they did not advocate for the resources they needed. For my analysis on the theme
advocacy, I drew from the literature from my conceptual framework on autonomy. Benard
(2004) defined autonomy as those who act independently, have personal control of themselves
and their environment, and have a strong sense of self. Consistent with the literature on
autonomy, the students shared how they demonstrated autonomy by acting independently and
having a strong sense of self, particularly in their ability to do things on their own to meet their
needs and being driven to meet those needs despite the lack of assistance of others. In addition,
the students demonstrated personal control of themselves and their environment by taking
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advantage of resources and using their instructors as a resource inside of the classroom, after
class, and during office hours and joining clubs.
The following three examples demonstrate how the second-year Latino community
college students I interviewed believed they could not rely on others to meet their needs, despite
having access to resources. Estevan shared,
But I mean to me also I feel that coming out of jail it was common sense for me to like.
Whenever I am in college, it’s common sense, I know that I am by myself, but I do have
the SCC
2
program and I feel that I don’t know not everybody is like that. To me it was
also common sense, like, getting things done in school. Like, ain’t nobody going to push
me, nobody is going to be holding my hand to do my homework. That’s something that I
know I have to do.
Here, Estevan acknowledged his access to resources, however, he also knew that he was
ultimately responsible for his own success. Here he demonstrated autonomy, independence,
personal control and a strong sense of self by acknowledging “ain’t nobody going to push me,
nobody is going to be holding my hand to do my homework. That’s something that I know I
have to do.” Estevan was prepared to navigate the college experience on his own. Similarly,
Rodrigo and he shared,
Resources in college are great, and community college, but I find that at the end of the
day you have to do things you own, on your own. Of course there’s people that help and
guide you but at the end you have to do it yourself.
Here, Rodrigo acknowledged the accessibility to resources, but demonstrated autonomy,
independence, personal control and strong sense of self in his example, “of course there’s people

2
The SoCal College Experience (SCE) program had previously been named the SoCal College Completion (SCC)
program, therefore students referred to it as the SCC program at times and the SCE program at other times.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 132

that help you and guide you but at the end you have to do it yourself.” The commonalities in this
quotation from Rodrigo, and the previous quotation from Estevan is the acknowledgement of to
the availability of resources, however, the students still perceived it as a necessity to navigate the
college experience on their own. Both students demonstrated autonomy in their ability to act
independently and fulfill their own needs. In the same way that Estevan and Rodrigo believed
that they had to take responsibility for their own success, Julia stated,
At SoCal Community College, that you are going to have to find stuff on your own and
you can’t expect someone else to do it for you. It’s going to be the same when
transferring, like if I need something then I have to go on my own to find it or ask for
help on where to find it. At SoCal Community College, or in college, you have to see
after yourself, it’s like survival of the fittest, you have to be on it and just look out for
yourself.
Here, in this example, Julia demonstrated autonomy, independence, personal control and strong
sense of self as she shared,
you are going to have to find stuff on your own and you can’t expect someone else to do
it for you . . . you have to see after yourself, it’s like survival of the fittest, you have to be
on it and just look out for yourself.
Julia’s strategy was to ask questions. She knew that she would need to ask for help, see after
herself both at community college and in college. A fourth student, Gabriela, expressed a similar
perspective. She shared,
I didn’t know how to move around, I didn’t know how to navigate college, and nobody
has come by and said “I’m going to lead you through the way.” I had to find everything
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on my own. I’m a person that is constantly asking questions, always, and so I think that
has helped me navigate now college, in like how I can get my way around things.
Gabriela acknowledged that prior to learning to ask questions, she was unable to navigate
college, and no one sought her out and offered her assistance. Gabriela demonstrated autonomy,
independence, and personal control by using the strategy of asking questions. She said, “I’m a
person that is constantly asking questions, always, and so I think that has helped me navigate
now college, in like how I can get my way around things.” By asking questions, Gabriela
overcame the problem of not being able to navigate college. Consistent with the literature,
Gabriela’s technique of constantly asking questions aligns with Zell’s (2010) finding that
students who were able to make use of limited resources were likely to persist to graduation.
While three of the students were aware of resources that were available to them, Gabriela
was unable to identify any resource and instead used the problem solving strategy of consistently
asking questions to navigate college. Yet even for those students who were able to identify
resources, they consistently communicated that the existence of these resources did not ensure
their success. Instead, they believed that it was necessary to advocate for themselves and
actively pursue ways to meet their needs.
In addition to believing they had to take their success into their own hands in general,
they also pointed to more specific ways they advocated for themselves. For example, three of the
six, or 50% of the students specifically stated that they found it necessary to advocate for
themselves inside of the classroom. These three students advocated for themselves by asking
questions of their professors during class time. In fact, Rodrigo shared,
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Um, usually when I do have doubt I will just ask them [questions] straight up during the
class while he is mentioning the assignment, I will just tell him “Oh well professor this
and that or what about this” and they will just answer my question there.
Here, Rodrigo demonstrated his willingness to advocate for himself inside of the classroom by
asking questions of his professors when he needed help. Gabriela and Estevan also asserted that
if they had a question during class they would “raise [their] hand in class.” Gabriela and Estevan
provided examples of advocating for themselves inside of the classroom by “raising [their] hand
in class,” and seeking immediate assistance in the moment.
While only three of the students indicated that they advocated for themselves inside of
the classroom, all of the six students indicated that they would approach their instructors after
class or during office hours for assistance if they had a problem, or wanted to discuss a matter
with their instructor. For example, Emelia shared,
Now here, you have to go to office hours. I think that’s one of the really helpful strategies
that you have to learn here in college. You have to go to office hours and talk to your
professor and get to know them so they can know who you are. Just getting to know
them. If you need help just go to office hours. Your friends on campus would tell you to
go to office hours. That’s where you learned, that’s ultimately how you were going to be
successful in class, was to go talk to the instructors.
Here, Emelia discussed how she advocated for herself by going to office hours, talking to her
professors, and getting to know them so they knew her. In this example, Emelia exercised
autonomy and independence by attending her instructor’s office hours on her own. In addition,
Emelia equated her success in class with speaking with her instructors during their office hours,
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saying, “ultimately how you were going to be successful in class, was to go talk to the
instructors.”
Estevan also explained how he sought out assistance. He indicated that if the teacher was
unavailable during the first engagement, he followed up by requesting a time to meet.
I talk to the teacher. I try to talk to the teacher in a professional level when time’s
permitted. Either after class I would probably ask, “Hey can I talk to you? If he says no,
“Like can we set up a time to meet? Yeah and just meet up and talk to them, whatever
issue we got to talk about.
In this example, Estevan demonstrated how he advocated for himself by approaching his teacher,
engaging, and doing so independently. He looked for the opportunity after class but was willing
to ask for a time to meet if the professor was unavailable in the moment.
Consistent with the other students’ Rodrigo stated, “I will email the professor or I will go
to their office and I will try to talk to them or right after class I will ask them a quick question
about the assignment.” In his example, Rodrigo demonstrated his use of office hours and use of
time after class to engage his instructor to ask questions. Gabriela also provided an example of
using her instructor’s office hours “I tried to reach out for help and I went to her office hours and
I still didn’t get a good grade in her class.” Regardless of her negative perception of the
experience, Gabriela still demonstrated in her example her use of instructor’s office hours.
The fact that some students were willing to seek out assistance during class while other
students were only willing to seek out assistance after class is consistent with Deil-Amen’s
(2011) findings that many of the Latino students in his study were fearful that they would be
embarrassed by their fellow classmates or instructors due to their lack of knowledge and
therefore would often respond in a cautious manner inside of the classroom. In my analysis I
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found an example where one student expressed the “fear” that Deil-Amen (2011) found.
Specifically, Julia shared,
There is always this, even when professors ask do you understand this? No one raises
their hand. You think someone else is going to ask or you are afraid to ask because you
think it’s going to be a dumb question.
Julia acknowledged “you are afraid to ask because you think it’s going to be a dumb question.”
Her response aligns with the literature in that despite the mitigation of the interaction on behalf
of the instructor, the students are quiet due to the “fear” that the Deil-Amen (2011) referenced.
While all of the students spoke about reaching out to their professors during or after class,
66% reported that they preferred to reach out first to their classmates after class if their questions
not been adequately addressed during class. For example, Rodrigo, who was willing to ask
questions during class also stated,
I will ask one of my classmates. I usually get their numbers down, I will get two at least
and someone who sits near me and I talk to, um, I will ask them, if they don’t know I will
email the professor or I will go to their office.
In this example, Rodrigo shared “I will ask one of my classmates. I usually get their numbers
down, I will get two at least and someone who sits near me and I talk to, um, I will ask them.”
Rodrigo’s actions inside of the classroom demonstrated his independence because he sought the
contact information for his peers so he could reach out to them when he needed assistance.
Additionally, in his example, Rodrigo stated “if they don’t know I will email the professor or I
will go to their office.” This statement demonstrated that Rodrigo’s classmates were his first
choice if he did not understand something that was not addressed during class. Here he
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demonstrated control of himself and his environment by exercising choice in seeking the
assistance of his classmates in addition to his professor.
Similarly, although Emelia valued going to office hours and knew that it was important to
her success, she shared that when she had a question after class she would,
probably go to one of the people that are in my class, a student, whoever’s in there that I
know, and ask them to help me out or try to figure it out together if we’re having the
same problem. If we still can’t figure it out probably just go to the professor and ask him
for help, or ask other people around for help.
Emelia demonstrated that her classmates were her first choice, “I’d probably go to one of the
people that are in my class, a student, whoever’s in there that I know, and ask them to help me
out or try to figure it out together if we’re having the same problem.” However, she also advised
that if she and her classmates were unable to figure out the problem that she would then reach
out to her professor, “If we still can’t figure it out probably just go to the professor and ask him
for help, or ask other people around for help.” This is consistent with her statements that going to
office hours was ultimately connected to success in the classroom. In another example, Gabriela
shared how she would go to her classmates first, then her professor. She said, “if I don’t get it, I
ask my classmates. If they don’t get it, then I will ask her (my professor) of course.” One
student, Miguel, was an outlier in my analysis and advised that if he had an issue he would first
seek a tutor, then he would go to the professor’s office hours. “Mostly go see a tutor. In other
cases, probably see a professor.”
All six students advocated for themselves, exhibiting autonomy through their
independent actions and their drive to seek the assistance they believed they needed. They also
demonstrated personal control and control of their environment in being able to make decisions
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based on choice due to control, and strong sense of self and knowing what their needs were and
advocating for them. These students’ behaviors demonstrated a resourcefulness that Morales
(2000) suggested stems from self-reflective and self-awareness abilities to identify risk factors
and possibilities to offset possible negative effects. In addition, by being equipped with these
problem-solving skills, these students were able to not be afraid to ask for help (Morales, 2000).
Theme 2: Taking Advantage of Resources Afforded by the Community College
All six of the students, 100%, reported taking advantage resources afforded to them
through their school. Some of these resources were tangible and others were not. For example,
all six students reported taking advantage of the social networks that they developed at the
school and used these connections to gain information and access supports that they might not
have otherwise had access to. This is consistent with Barbatis’s (2010) findings that students
who were involved on campus in organizations or clubs, access to social capital and a network of
support on campus and persistence. These are examples of the ways in which students’
experiences in programs on campus, specifically SCE program and the SoCal Student Program.
This was a voluntary program that students chose to enroll in. It was not something they were
required to do. Yet all six of the participants in my study had actively chosen to enroll in the
program. The students perceived that being enrolled in the SCE program and the SoCal Student
Program provided them with a number of advantages, including access to staff who were
assigned solely to their program (e.g., counselors), the ability to choose classes before other
students, additional tutoring services over what was already offered to the students outside of the
program, access to tours at 4-year universities, and information about scholarships and other
financial resources.
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One hundred percent of the students were enrolled in the SCE program during their first
year, and the SoCal Student Program during their second year. Gabriela shared,
I came to East LA community college the next semester, I was able to add three classes,
just adding them, and the following semester I ended up ... Joined this program that was
called SCC, the First Year Completion program, and they helped me out with my math,
my English, I was able to greatly revolve my low math levels. From there I started to get
more opportunities like EOP & S, and from there I met Rondan, an English professor at
East LA community college, and I joined the SoCal Student program, and I felt that I
found a community. Just yesterday we were rallying outside East LA so it was pretty fun.
I feel like I just found my family. I think being part of a club, just having clubs around,
like the SoCal Student club and others, it’s helpful because you have connections. You
start networking with different systems, like with different offices, where you can reach
out for help. Like we’re constantly helping each other out, like, “There are scholarships
coming up.” I think the fact that we also have clubs inside our school, that’s very helpful
because then we can reach out for further help outside.
Here, Gabriela explained that the SoCal Student program offered her the opportunity to take
advantage of social networks and gain information and access that she might not have otherwise
have had. She discovered connections within the school, to offices that could provide her with
help. In addition, Gabriela expressed how she benefited from joining the SCC program because
the program helped her with her math and English. She also perceived the SoCal Student
Program as being a “community” and described the program as a place where she “found my
family.” Consistent with the Barbatis (2010), this is an example of where a student’s use of
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social capital and access to a network enabled her to access resources that helped her to persist.
In another example, Emelia spoke about the benefits of SCC.
I know a lot of students, they were like, I only got one class or two classes and I wanted
to be full-time, or I didn’t know what classes to take. I’m just taking these random
classes. For me, for the SCC program, they told me you need these, you need these, and I
was just like Ok, then I’m going to take those. It’s explained to you step-by-step you
have to take these math classes in order for you to get to this math class, statistics or
whatever. They help you and guide you and have counselors to go talk to. The
professors are really nice and they’re always willing to help you out. They have tutoring,
and they actually make you go to tutoring for math, I struggled, because my math skills
weren’t that great.
Here, Emelia discussed the significance of the SCC program experience for her and how being
involved in the program provided opportunities she may otherwise have not had. In addition,
Emelia discussed accessibility to connections through the program particularly with tutoring,
“they have tutoring, and they actually make you go to tutoring for math, I struggled, because my
math skills weren’t that great.” Emelia’s behavior and actions show the accessibility to
resources and the network and social capital that Barbatis (2010) speaks of and how through the
use of resources she overcame many struggles that other students not in the program openly
struggle with. Estevan shared a similar experience to Emelia,
I ended up joining the SCC program they have at SoCal Community College. The SoCal
College Completion program and I think the fact that I joined that it helped me. SCC it
should be mandatory because it is the first year, they help you, they register your classes
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for you and all general ed, so you are not missing and you aren’t taking classes that are
unnecessary, they are doing it for you and they are already guaranteed.
Similar to Emelia, Estevan identified an advantage to the SCC program “they help you, they
register your classes for you and all general ed, so you are not missing and you aren’t taking
classes that are unnecessary, they are doing it for you and they are already guaranteed. Here
Estevan discussed access to connections because of the program, and he connected these
connections to his success in that “I think the fact that I joined that it helped me. SCC it should
be mandatory.” Estevan’s experiences also align with Barbatis’s assertion (2010) that social
capital and networks support students’ persistence.
In the same way the other students took advantage of the resources provided by the SCC
program, Julia shared,
Joining the SoCal College Experience program, I think that was the best thing that I ever
did. I always tell them that whenever they need help with anything to let me know. I am
very grateful for that program and being part of it because they were very supportive and
they guided me through college during the first year. They build strong communities of
students to help each other and not feel so alienated in college like we didn’t belong
there. SCE/SCC now forces students to utilize the services – whereas when I was there it
was here are these services you should utilize them and I would go.
In this example, Julia acknowledged the significant role that SCE played in her experience and
support during her first year,
Joining the SoCal College Experience program (SCE) I think that was the best thing that
I ever did. I am very grateful for that program and being part of it because they were
very supportive and they guided me through college during the first year.
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SCE for Julia provided a network of support while on campus, and access to connections and
opportunities she may not have otherwise had, “they build strong communities of students to
help each other and not feel so alienated in college like we didn’t belong there.” Barbatis (2010)
spoke of this connection and students’ ability to persist when they felt included in academic
culture.
As with the other students, Rodrigo shared,
Part of the SoCal Student program and the Honors program is super beneficial for me
because again small classes, you know your professor, your professor gives you courses,
he gives me courses, I mean assignments that I know challenges me instead of just do
this, do that, you know?
Rodrigo’s actions align with Astin (1984), Barbatis (2010), and Tinto (1998, 1993) in that
through his involvement in school he has accessed a network of support in his academic
endeavors. In the classroom, Rodrigo desired to be provided with more challenging assignments.
Due to his involvement in the SoCal Student Program, he had access to smaller classes, that he
perceived enabled him to engage with his professor and request these more challenging
assignments.
Miguel shared,
In my second year, I noticed that there were a bunch of resources at SoCal Community
College. Knowing that I was able to get into the program, SoCal Student, and get more
involved and learn about more resources. We went to Berkeley, Stanford, San Francisco
and I think it was, I forget the last one. We were even able to get along and get to know
each other even more. The most important part was that the motivation, it just feels like
the environment on campus, you could actually decide, this campus is for me. Or no, this
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campus is not for me. I should aim for something better; I should aim for something more
local or something that is actually going to help me in my future.
Miguel’s experience spoke to the opportunities provided by having the social capital and
supportive networks that afforded off-campus experiences that motivated him. One example of
these opportunities was “several weeks ago, 3 weeks ago, we went to LACMA. They had some
college night.” Another opportunity was “we went to the 4-year universities and we spent the
night at a hotel and it was cool. We were even able to get along and get to know each other even
more.” Miguel expressed the influence that these opportunities had on him and how
motivational they were. Miguel identified his involvement in the SoCal Student Program, in
relation to an increase in accessibility to resources, “knowing that I was able to get into the
program, SoCal Student, and get more involved and learn about more resources.”
One particular resource that the students also took advantage of on campus was the use of
the library to study. All six of the students, or 100% identified that they used the library as their
primary location for studying. This aligns with Barbatis’s (2010) findings that students’
accessibility to resources, the sense of academic integration (feeling included in campus) and the
development of skills such as effective study habits are connected to persistence. The students’
use of the library is also a demonstration of their autonomy and their ability to act independently
and is consistent with Benard’s (2004) findings that students who are able to act autonomously
and independently are more likely to persist.
In the following four examples, students explained why they choose to use the library for
studying. Miguel stated “I use the library to do my homework. I know it’s mostly doing my
work. Yeah, staying in the library.” Estevan shared,
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I think school is the best place for me at the library, a good space where you see other
students doing their homework, because that also makes you want to do your homework.
If you see another kid doing their homework, and it’s something you don’t want to do
your homework, you just want to do other things, but then you see other students in the
library, but he’s doing it, you know what I’ve got to do mine too, and he’s been here for
all day. I’ve seen him since the morning, so I’m going to do mine too. I think you need
to be in that setting.
Here, Estevan reveals that the library was his choice of a study spot, “I think school is the best
place for me at the library.” In his example, he described feeling a sense of motivation when he
was able to observe other students studying, “a good space where you see other students doing
their homework, because that also makes you want to do your homework.”
Similarly, Emelia shared,
It is actually pretty hard to study at home, so yeah, I try to do all my studying here at
school in the library. I’ll go to the center, there’s an honors center and it’s kind of
connected to SoCal Student so we have a room where we can go in there and just study. I
go there or I go to the learning center to use computers or the writing center or the
library. Mostly the library.
Emelia demonstrated her use of the library, “It is actually pretty hard to study at home, so yeah, I
try to do all my studying here at school in the library.”
Rodrigo shared,
Really it is more my friends and my family that lead me to procrastinate, but there are
times where I try to study but I just can’t at home. Because I also don’t like going home
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because my family are, they are always like, they will tell me to do this, do that. I don’t
really like going home and there is a lot of kids there, so yeah I study at the library.
Here, in this example, similar to Emelia, Rodrigo described the library as a resource because the
difficulty in studying at home, “really it is more my friends and my family that lead me to
procrastinate, but there are times where I try to study but I just can’t at home.” In addition,
Rodrigo discussed his use of the library as a resource in order to alleviate the issue of distractions
at home, “I don’t really like going home and there is a lot of kids there, so yeah I study at the
library.”
All four of these students exhibited problem solving skills. In drawing from the literature
from Benard (2004), Colbert and Hebert (2005), and Hassinger and Plourde (2005), individuals
who found alternative solutions when faced with cognitive or social problems were exhibiting
good problem solving skills. One student found it to be a place that allowed him to get his work
done. Another student found it to be a place that helped him be motivated on the work he needed
to complete and avoid procrastination. Two students used the library as a way to overcome the
difficulty in studying at home.
The data revealed overall that the students’ ability to solve problems related to their
academic success, played a significant role in their perceptions. There were variations in the
data of how students demonstrated their ability to solve problems. First, students engaged in
problem solving to overcome obstacles inside the classroom that they believed impeded their
success. The literature acknowledged the demonstration of these skills as problem solving, and
identified problem solving as the student’s ability to find other solutions to social and cognitive
problems (Benard, 2004; Colbert and Hebert, 2005; and Hassinger and Plourde, 2005). Second,
students advocated for themselves, when they believed they needed, to access academic
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resources. In a similar way, the literature aligned with the student’s actions to meet their own
needs, despite the lack of assistance from others. Benard (2004) defined autonomy as acting
independently, having personal control of themselves and their environment and a strong sense
of self. Third, students took advantage of those resources they could access in college. The
literature acknowledged a correlation among problem solving skills and the students taking
advantage of resources (Morales, 2000). The commonality across all sub-themes was the
students’ ability to use problem solving skills, despite variations in application.
Finding 5: Students Expressed Pedagogies of Survival and Lessons of Struggle that Were
Shared by the Family or Were from Their Own Personal Experiences
Data analysis of the second-year Latino community college students’ interviews revealed
that the students had developed a form of critical resilience as a result of internalizing lessons of
struggle or pedagogies of survival that either, had been experienced by their families and shared
with the student or that they had experienced personally. For the purposes of this analysis, I
drew from the literature on pedagogies of survival and lessons of struggle (Campa, 2013).
Lessons of struggle are influenced by personal, familial, and community experiences and are
shared in the context of stories of survival or pedagogies or survival (Campa, 2013). The student
then internalizes the stories provided or from their own experiences in forms of orgullo (pride),
sabiduria (wisdom) and consejos (advice). These internalizations contribute to the students’
critical resilience, thus influencing the students’ ability to persist (Campa, 2013). Three themes
emerged in relation to this finding. The first theme that will be discussed focused on lessons of
struggle experienced by the family and for the purposes of the study identified as environmental
factors. These lessons were internalized in forms of critical resilience and expressed by the
student in their persistence. The second theme that will be discussed does not emerge from the
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critical resilience literature. This theme focuses on the way that students experienced a cultural
conflict with family members and the struggles that emerged for students as a result of this
conflict. The conflict arose in the form of dual-messages from their home environments. The
students shared that while their families were supportive in some contexts, overall they felt as
though they were navigating the college experience alone. These experiences are consistent with
literature that reveals that community college students’ parents often have limited knowledge
about the process of education and that despite their inability to help their children with the
specifics, such as obtaining their educational goals, they did provide them other forms of support
(Ceballo, 2004). In addition, the literature discusses the differences in support systems between
students and their peers and those systems of support between students and their families. As
previously discussed, the students who participated in this study revealed that they shared goals
that were aligned with their peers. However, their support systems at home, as found in the
literature, often did not share the same goals, logic, or focus as the students. Students reported,
consistent with Deil-Amen (2011), that their families found it difficult to understand their goals
related to attending and completing college, particularly if the student had been employed prior
to attending college. The third theme that will be discussed focused on lessons of struggle
experienced by the student, and the internalization of the experience.
In the next section I offer each students’ experience in relation to each theme.
Theme 1: Students Internalized Lessons of Struggle Experienced by Family Members as
Forms of Critical Resilience
All six of the students shared lessons of struggle that were experienced and shared by
members of their family. For this analysis, I drew from the literature on lessons of struggle and
how these lessons can be influenced by personal, familial and community experiences and are
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shared in the context of stories of survival (Campa, 2013). The literature reveals that the student
internalizes the stories provided in forms of orgullo (pride), sabiduria (wisdom) and consejos
(advice) (Campa, 2013). Pedagogies of survival are ways of knowing or cultural and historical
ideologies that promote resilience (Campa, 2013).
Julia
Julia told me,
Most challenging thing I saw my family members go through growing up is I think it
would be once we moved, when we came here and it was, um, well, my Mom couldn’t go
back when like, I don’t know something like, one of my family members I guess started,
not started dying immediately, but after, but like slowly some of them got sick and just
passed away and it was like, I think it was very unfortunate, well especially for my Mom
because she couldn’t go back.
Here, Julia discussed her family’s struggle, when a member of the family was in Mexico and ill,
and they were here in the United States. She shared, “slowly some of them got sick and just
passed away and it was like, I think it was very unfortunate, well especially for my mom because
she couldn’t go back.” In addition, Julia shared that the struggle was her mom’s inability to
return to the United States if she were to go to Mexico. Julia also stated that it was difficult for
her because her family, “they don’t get that closure.” During the interview Julia was asked about
the lesson she learned from her family by them sharing this experience and she stated,
They say sometimes there are things out of their control, so they just have to deal with
them they best that they can. So I guess, when something happens, if I can’t control it,
then I should just let it happen. Unless, like, I have control over it, then I should work
really hard to do something about it.
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Julia’s internalizations of the lesson could be observed in her behaviors and actions of autonomy,
independence, and personal control, where she shared instances in her experiences and exercised
autonomy. For example, she shared that she had access to DACA and when it became available
she “saw opportunity (DACA) took full advantage.” She also shared her perception of using the
time that DACA was providing and exhibited that even though she had control over the situation
for a possible short period of time, and her DACA permit could end, that she would take
advantage. She shared,
DACA came in and it was like, ok I can use this permit to work and have an income here
and maybe that’s a success. I was like or maybe I could go to school and whatever I
make of the time of the permit (DACA) then I make, um whatever I make during that
time, it will be enough whether I get my AA or don’t get it, I am still going to school and
learning.
When Julia discussed her AB540 status she described how she felt about being an AB540
student and because of her status, “When there is an opportunity you just want to take it, you
want to take advantage of it.” Her perception aligns with exercising control and in her ability to
take advantage of opportunities.
Another example where she perceived to have control over the situation and “did
something about it,” was in her accessibility and use of resources. Julia shared that when she
joined the SCE program they did not initially require students to use the services. She said, “I
guess you have to become resourceful. When I was there the first year it was kind of like here
are these services you should utilize them and I would go.” Julia shared that she did not believe
she was prepared, however, she believed she exercised her control of the situation and stated,
I think I did and I didn’t because it was more self-driven, I think so, because I didn’t want
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to be in the same of situation that I was in before. Yes. So, yes, I kind of wanted, I had to
do it regardless of what it took. Work really hard to get where I wanted.
Julia discussed that she felt that despite having access to resources, she still felt that in order for
her needs to be met, she had to do things on her own. For example,
You are going to have to find stuff on your own and you can’t expect someone else to do
it for you. It’s going to be the same when transferring, like if I need something then I
have to go on my own to find it or ask for help on where to find it.
Here, Julia demonstrated her ability to take control and “did something about it.” Another
example she provided where she demonstrated taking control of the situation was in her
perception of how being Mexican-American contributed to her as a student. She shared,
SoCal Community College, or in college, you have to see after yourself, it is like survival
of the fittest, you have to be on it and just look out for yourself.
Julia demonstrated her ability to navigate socially and took control by engaging in social
relationships to aid in her persistence and success. For example, “not make friends, but network
with people so that you can get stuff done. So you can ask for help and then they can help you
when you need help.”
Julia was the only student interviewed who also took advantage of an opportunity on
campus to be employed as a student worker. When asked how she spent her time on campus,
other than attending class, she stated, “yes, for work in the non-credit department.” Another
example where Julia saw an opportunity, in her control and she “did something about it.”
Julia also shared another lesson of struggle she experienced through her mother,
When they say that they wish they could’ve gone to school, for longer, and actually done
something with their life. Like my Mom says, um, she says this a lot, she’s like if I
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wouldn’t have gotten married, I would have been a teacher, she’s like, but since I got
married, I stopped going to school because I am just going to focus on this and then she
got pregnant with my sister, and she’s like I never, I didn’t think to go back, she’s like
and now she’s like I regret it because she’s like I know some stuff, but I don’t know
everything, she’s like, I’m not like writing and stuff, math, its good, but it’s like the
basics. I wish I could’ve learned more than just simple things to get you by and my aunt
says the same thing. She’s like, sometimes she tells my Mom, I don’t know why you
didn’t take advantage of going to school. She’s like because all of us wanted to go, she’s
like but we were all told we had to work and all of us came over here and she’s like and
our parents gave us too much responsibility to go to school, whereas my Mom they told
her to go and she got married instead.
From this example, Julia shared that she learned the lesson to be persistent in school and to
continue in her studies. For example,
I am like the only one technically, well within our family that is like going, pursuing,
higher education its kind of like well, it might not be what everyone else is doing but it is
something that I want. And if I want it then I should pursue it, despite whatever happens,
despite any obstacle.
The drive that Julia expressed in this example is one of persistence, in relation to her ability to
have control over attending school and making the decision to attend school, “if I want it then I
should pursue it, despite whatever happens, despite any obstacle.” This example also
corresponded with her ability to take control and exercise autonomy, independence, and personal
control, despite the fact that “it might not be what everyone else is doing but it is something I
want.”
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Julia shared a financial lesson of struggle that she had experienced through her mother’s
experience.
Sometimes when you have, when I have had um, when my Mom has gotten sick in the
past, where it is like she has to take time off work and you are kind of like, all of these
things are going to start piling up like the finances and well the bills, whatever. You are
just kind of like uhhhh….., crumbs, and then you are like ok well maybe this happening
this month and I am probably going to be broke for like the whole month, but I will have
time to gain everything back later. I won’t fully be like out in the street, you get me, like,
say maybe my Mom won’t be able to pay the rent fully, but I will and that way like that’s
a challenge right, not having money for the whole month, but you still have a place to
live, so you are ok.
Here, Julia identified a lesson of struggle when “all of these things are going to start piling up
like the finances and well the bills, whatever.” She continued to discuss her perception on the
lesson of struggle and stated “I won’t fully be like out in the street, you get me, like, say maybe
my Mom won’t be able to pay the rent fully, but I will.” In this example, Julia implemented
problem solving skills when faced with a financial lesson of struggle. In addition, she provided
her positive perception on the situation when faced with the challenge in that “like that’s a
challenge right, not having money for the whole month, but you still have a place to live, so you
are ok.”
When asked about the lesson she learned from this financial struggle, she stated,
The one that they use the most is, I cope by complaining a lot, so I am doing something,
or if I am super stressed out I am going to complain about it and sometimes it’s over
exaggerated, but that’s the way that I cope instead of doing drugs or anything else or
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overeating, that’s how I cope. They say don’t worry God squeezes you, but he doesn’t
choke you. Right, he’s giving you a squeeze but he’s not going to choke you fully. It’s
kind of like a test and I am just like why. We don’t know why things happen, but they
sometimes just work like that. They are to make you stronger, so that is something that
they share. And sometimes when I am having a bad day, I just want to give up, but then I
am just like ok, maybe this is a test and if I get over it, and it makes me, it prepares me
for the next thing that is going.
In this example, Julia demonstrated how she applied this lesson to her daily life in that,
Sometimes when I am having a bad day, I just want to give up, but then I am just like ok,
maybe this is a test and if I can get over it, and it makes me, it prepares me for the next
thing that is going.
Julia demonstrated several experiences where she was “tested” and persisted through the
challenges. For example, her status as an AB540 student prevented her from the receipt of
certain financial aid. In order to overcome this “test” in her pursuit for higher education, Julia
shared, “I attended workshops to learn about scholarships, and websites, and deadlines.” In this
example, Julia demonstrated autonomy, independence, persistence and problem solving skills
when she sought out resources to “get over” the “test” of a lack of financial resources and
prepared her for the next phase of her academic journey.
Rodrigo
When asked about experiences his grandparents or other family members talked about
often and that he had heard over and over, Rodrigo shared,
My grandma loves to talk. She always talks about how it was in Mexico. My grandma
grew up with like a really harsh childhood apparently. She was always mistreated by my
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great-grandma. I met my great-grandma before she died and she seemed like a nice old
woman. But apparently she wasn’t because she would treat my grandma really bad and
she always bring it up. Like oh my mom would hit me and she would do this and she
would leave me and we were always malnourished. I was just there like oh, okay, I have
heard this story billions of times grandma. I already know how sad it is, don’t tell me
again. She tells me that story so we can make a better living for ourselves. She wants to
see if like you know we have been through this and fucking hopped the border and
fucking did a whole bunch of shit just so you guys can throw it out to waste? No, you
guys better do something with your fucking life. That’s basically what she’s telling me.
She always mentions that story. Another story that, this one got to me, I don’t really hear
it as often, but this one I heard only once. It was just out of coincidence that I was just
there. Um, my Dad was talking about how my Mom crossed and this one almost brought
me to tears because they were talking about how women. Let me see, my Dad crossed
with my Mom. My Dad is older than my Mom, like a couple of years actually and my
Dad was going to go get her, he was already here and he went with the coyote and he was
with her and they came together in a group. They were by TJ or somewhere around there
and the man was about to say, was telling them I am going to separate women and men.
My Dad was like no you aren’t separating women and men; I am going with her. He said
they were separating women and men and they stopped at a hotel, the receptionists’ lady
told them that the man was known to prostitute women and capture them and you will
never see her ever again. So my Dad and my Mom ran and they left and they got here
somehow. My family was already here, some of my family members they got here but
that struck me so bad I was just like wow, they really went through that. I never
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bothered to ask my Mom how she got here until that day I realized WOW! My Mom as
15-16 years old and she could’ve been prostituted to death, killed, who knows. That
struck me and I was just like wow. I am not taking this for granted you know. I was
born into a Mexican-American family, an immigrant family, I better do something with
my life. You know that always struck me and always lingers.
During the interview, Rodrigo was asked to discuss the lesson he learned from these
experiences that his family shared and he stated,
It was always a constant battle to get here and stay here. But it was pretty hard in Mexico
because during the time it was just, it was just a lot of bad things there, very hard,
difficult to have a good life there. And just knowing that makes me feel like I should do
something with my life. Even now I see modern Mexico, its fucking horrible. You
know? So my family could say you did nothing with your life? I don’t know, I don’t
want to do that and be a disappointment to my family.
In this example, Rodrigo shared that his persistence is related to the struggles of his family and
how “knowing that makes me feel like I should do something with my life.” Additionally,
Rodrigo expressed how “I don’t want to do that and be a disappointment to my family.” He
correlated his ability to “do something with his life,” and by not taking action and being
unsuccessful, that he would be a “disappointment” to his family. Therefore, he persisted in
school through the internalizations derived from the lessons of struggle, and the internalizations
are through orgullo (pride) for his family and their struggles to immigrate to the United States.
An example of Rodrigo’s drive and his ability to persist and “do something with is life,”
could be observed in his discussion about his goals, when he set a goal to graduate from SoCal
Community College in two years, “I know I will get out from SoCal Community College within
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2 years and I am getting out from SoCal Community College within 2 years.” In addition,
Rodrigo shared his perception on his choice of schools to transfer and his future goals,
So I know for a fact, well I don’t know for a fact, for sure I have a good opportunity to
get into UCLA and I have a great opportunity from UCLA to get into Stanford. And that,
going to graduate school at Stanford is going to make me more qualified than another
graduate student from another school. So, education and where you get your education
from is definitely super important to me. I think that’s super important. I’m not going to
go to Cal state LA just because I got accepted. I’m not going to go to CSUDH just
because I got accepted. I want to go to UCLA, a school that has a good name, a great
reputation, the professors that are there, are the authors of the book that they are teaching
at CalState LA. That’s what I want to do, so I feel like that’s totally helpful and that
motivates me and gives me a better opportunity to get a better job.
Rodrigo’s plans were a driving force in his persistence and his desire to be successful could be
observed in his goals, particularly when he discussed that he is driven to attend “a school that has
a good name, a great reputation,” and he “feels like that’s totally helpful and that motivates me
and gives me a better opportunity to get a better job.” Through his actions, goals, and behaviors,
Rodrigo shared,
Definitely it is hard to say that just because I am Mexican-American something
specifically pushes me to be a better student, it’s my family. Just, my family, and how
we are just as a Mexican family we are very close and that’s what really pushes me.
They’ve sacrificed stuff and that’s why I am also doing better.
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In this example, Rodrigo reiterated the “sacrifices” that his family has made and described
“that’s why I am also doing better.” This example reiterated a purpose for his persistence,
because of the sacrifices his family has made.
Rodrigo also shared another lesson from struggle that his family had experienced, in particular,
his mother,
Definitely my Mom just giving up in school. She didn’t continue going to school here.
She arrived around like 15 and she could’ve gone to high school and she could’ve at least
struggled, you know, but she would’ve pulled through. Um, so definitely not going to
school that encouraged me to go. You know she’s, she always, I remember being in
elementary that she would come and guide me, not guide me, she would mostly scream at
me and tell me, you have to do this and do this, A B C D and she would help me with her
Spanish accent. And with math, until the age, I don’t know I was in 5
th
grade, until 5
th

grade that’s when she stopped, when I went to middle school she stopped. Why?
Because she didn’t know. It wasn’t her fault. So definitely that makes me go.
In this example, Rodrigo shared how he has internalized his mothers’ struggle in being unable to
obtain an education, and used this as a reason to persist in school, “so definitely not going to
school that encouraged me to go.” Rodrigo also discussed “definitely that pushed me to go to
school just because my parents just didn’t reach that level of education.” He shared how his
mother was unable to help his siblings with schoolwork and how he was able to because he
continued to be persistent in his education. For example,
It wasn’t her fault. So definitely that makes me go. It makes me also help out my sister.
You know, Sofie, she’s in eighth grade, so, have you, what are you doing in Algebra I?
She will be like oh we are doing x and y and I am like oh, so you know what slope
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intercept form is and she will be like yes, I know what it is. So what is the formula for
slope? I will help her out and she will have a problem and I will help her out. My mom
doesn’t know but I do and I am there to help her.
In this example, Rodrigo stated, “My mom doesn’t know, but I do, and I am there to help her.”
Rodrigo’s desire to help his sister with her educational needs aided in his persistence, “it makes
me also help out my sister.” Rodrigo acknowledged, “but it’s ok” that his parents did not reach a
certain level of education and identified that this was another form of sacrifice that they made
when immigrating to the United States and “you know they didn’t, they just came here and they
would’ve I am sure if they would’ve stayed.”
Miguel
Miguel said,
One of the biggest things is I think, the most important, is financial and so forth. Because
about 2 years ago, my dad had some problems on the job and was laid off. Since then I’ve
been helping my dad. No, probably about 30-40% of the income for the house and he
does the rest, because he has to pay child support and the rest to my step mom. That’s
another barrier that got me to assist with the house. I work a week, “A week, I’d say
about 35 to 40 hours, 42. Honestly the reason I attended community college, it was
because I couldn’t financially afford a 4-year school. It was the closest one by my house.
In this example, Miguel discussed how he experienced a lesson of struggle through his father’s
lesson of struggle financially, due to the loss of his job. Miguel shared that since the loss of his
father’s job, “I’ve been helping my Dad. Probably about 30-40% of the income for the house
and he does the rest.” Miguel discussed that the lesson he learned from his families’ struggle
was,
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I think is becoming a good role model for my younger siblings is the biggest thing for
me. I want to teach them that if you work hard you can accomplish your dreams and be
whoever you want to be. That’s like the biggest thing that’s always in my mind. Yeah,
like I first mentioned, my father. He’s the main support, and the main reason I’m going to
school. One of the biggest reasons I’m going to school is to help my father or to get him
out of the financial struggles that he’s facing right now, out of the hole. That’s the only
reason I’m working also, because I don’t want to see him carry all this weight. He’s my
biggest motivation, as well as my younger siblings. He always pushed me.
In this example, Miguel described an influence in his persistence and how “becoming a good role
model for my younger siblings is the biggest things for me. I want to teach them that if you
work hard you can accomplish your dreams and be whoever you want to be.” He also shared
how his father, “he’s my biggest motivation, as well as my younger siblings. He’s always
pushed me.” Miguel also discussed that one of the driving forces for his persistence in school
was to “help my father or to get him out of the financial struggles that he’s facing right now, out
of the hole. That’s the only reason I’m working also, because I don’t want to see him carry all
this weight.”
In alignment with Miguel’s desire to help his father, was also his desire to increase his
financial income. Miguel provided an example of how he perceived his goals of being similar or
different than those of his peers. Miguel stated,
The same goals? I think no. That’s what I noticed, that some of them are not eager or, but
for me, I’ll be honest, I’m eager to make a good financial income, to increase my
financial income. I notice that some of my peers and my friends that I hang out with are
not that much into increased a larger financial income or become more financially stable.
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They for sure want to get to see more financial income, but not as much as I want.
Probably not the same ambitions, because one thing I even tell my friends that I hang out
with is that you should have bigger dreams. You should reach even bigger than that. You
can do more than that. To be honest, I have big, big, big, dreams that for some reason my
friends do not, they do not think that they can reach that. They think that they should be
stable only for making a couple thousand dollars a month or several, just, I see some
amount of money or not only that but get a degree from a 4-year university and that’s it.
For me, it’s beyond that. I use that knowledge of that degree to make a difference in
society and not only make more money or that is, use that money to help my family and
help others. I think that’s one of the biggest differences. Probably we have the same type
of goals, but we have different perspectives of those goals.
In this example, Miguel shared, “I’m eager to make a good financial income, to increase my
financial income.” Miguel discussed that his desire was to “use that knowledge of that degree to
make a difference in society and not only make more money or that is, use that money to help
my family and help others.” This was another example of Miguel’s commitment to supporting
his family, as well as others and a significant influence in his persistence in school. In addition,
the lessons of financial struggle that he had experienced through his family had influenced his
desire to obtain an increase in financial income.
The commitment to family and supporting them has been shared with Miguel through
pedagogies of survival. Miguel shared an experience that he recalled when he was growing up
that related to his persistence in school, as well as his desire to help his father. Miguel stated,
Wanting to help my family. I think my father, going back to my father, even though I
never saw it, my uncles would tell me stories about how he used to work when he was
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small. He was a young teenager, he used to help my grandfather and grandmother. He
used to work and helped them. Probably that inspired me too. Probably besides my father
was, like I said, probably my brother a little bit. He’s about 4 years older than me and he
also helped my dad, before he left. He was always helping my dad too.
In this example, Miguel stated, “probably that inspired me too,” when he discussed the stories of
how his “father used to work when he was small. He was a young teenager, he used to help my
grandfather and grandmother.” Miguel’s actions and behaviors and his desire to assist his father
were a possible reflection of the stories, the pedagogies of survival. In addition, Miguel
discussed how his brother also “helped my dad, before he left. He was always helping my dad
too.” Miguel shared that “seeing that, I think also helped me to, you know what? I can do the
same thing. When it came to the time that my dad needed that financial need, I was gladly
helping him. I was providing that need.” And Miguel had and continued to provide the need for
his father, his family, by contributing “probably about 30-40% of the income for the house and
he does the rest.”
Consistent with the financial lesson of struggle that Miguel had previously shared, he also shared
the lesson of struggle in terms of “being on the working class.” However, another additional
layer to the lesson of struggle was “because my dad is undocumented.” Miguel shared,
A challenging thing growing up, the more common thing, the money, being on the
working class is the biggest thing that I think most people face. I think ... but it’s more
that, because my dad is undocumented, so he’s like the peace soldiers provide him, the
things that they don’t provide, they shrunk his resources. He would always tell me that if
you work hard you can get money, you can make money. It’s even harder for people that
are not given the permit or are not able to legally work. So, I think that was one of the
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obstacles. He needs to work harder in order to get a job or work even more harder than
the average person to make money.
During the interview, Miguel was asked to describe the lesson he learned that his father
shared from this experience and he stated,
It gave me another motivation, it’s part of the reason why I continued school and part of
the reason why I’m looking for my career, I’m thinking for a career. It made me more a
stable person. It maybe matured me even sooner than I expected or that I should have.
Yeah, definitely, I was able to mature. The lesson I learned, lessons, yes. I think one of
the lessons, I probably mentioned it before, is that to never quit, never give up even
though people are, something is blocking you or something is holding you back, do not
give up. Keep on moving forward and maybe you have to let go of things, you have to
sacrifice things also to do that. Sacrifice them. Besides that, it’s always work hard to
maintain your family together and to support your family. I think that’s a big lesson that I
got from my father; be smart to keep your family together and never let go of your
family. Probably that’s the thing I learned. Even though sometimes you can’t be together
with your family but always have a connection with your family. From those
experiences? I could say that ... I think one thing that he probably had it before but he
enforced it as a ... If you do something do it well. Do your best. Do your best at your
work and do your best at taking care of your family, you’ve got to support your family. I
think, even though the struggle seems extremely hard, keep that commitment. I think
that’s one of the biggest gifts that my dad gave me, shared.
In this example, Miguel discussed he learned from his father “to never quit, never give up even
though people are, something is blocking you or something is holding you back, do not give up.”
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In addition, he learned from his father, “if you do something do it well. Do your best.” Miguel
demonstrated this during his second semester and shared the experience,
I think it was my second semester. I was taking 4 or 5 courses. I was struggling
throughout that semester, but toward the end of the week, when they posted all the
grades, I noticed I got straight A’s. It was my biggest moment, because I knew that no
one would stop me. I could fit into a higher level of education and I actually was capable
of doing those assignments. That really motivated me to keep on going, reach for a better
GPA the next semester and keep on going.
Here, Miguel overcame the struggle, and persisted, and he said that in this moment, “I knew no
one would stop me.” This aligned with the lesson his father shared with him to “never give up
and if you do something do it well. Do your best.” In addition, this experience provided Miguel
with the belief that “I could fit into a higher level of educational and I actually was capable of
doing those assignments. That motivated me to keep going, reach for a better GPA the next
semester and keep on going.”
Miguel shared another lesson of struggle that was experienced by his father and
expressed that this lesson had a significant influence on his persistence.
According to a story that actually happened to my dad, he told me that it was, I think, the
first or second time that he was coming through to this country, when he was crossing the
border. He was crossing the desert. He told me a story that during that time he brought
one of my uncles. So, I remember that, he asked the guy who was the leader, who was
crossing them to this side, asked him if he could bring my uncle to the States. He said it
was all fine but my dad needed to help him cross all the people that he was bringing. So,
at that time, it took weeks to cross. It was a night, I think my uncle got bitten by a snake
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and creepy things that happened to my uncle that he got into while crossing to the desert
and they got into a point where they had to hide for days. He used to tell me things that
used to happen. He seen kids almost die. He told me that and he had to spend days
without eating and all that crazy things, all of the sacrifices that he made in order to come
to this country. I think that was one of the stories. He told me that he carried a couple of
children and women when they were crossing the river. He told me how he got injured. I
think he broke his toe when he was crossing but he just kept on going and was also
helping my uncle that he got a big fat leg while they were crossing the river. That’s one
of the crazy things. I think the thing about that story is that it was not only once because
he did it a few times because he had to go back and help his family. He had to go back
and forth. He did it a lot of times.
When asked in the interview the lesson that he learned from his father sharing this experience,
Miguel stated “I think that, like I said, coming back to the terrible conditions they have to go
through in order to come to this country, it makes me realize all the sacrifices that he made or all
the obstacles that he was able to overcome. It gives me a bigger motivation to go on and nothing
is impossible and keep on aiming for the best.” In this example, Miguel perceived the “sacrifices
that he made or all the obstacles that he was able to overcome,” and used this lesson as a “bigger
motivation to go on and nothing is impossible and keep on aiming for the best.” Miguel has
demonstrated the internalization of this lesson in his ability to overcome obstacles, such as the
experience he described during his second semester, and struggling in school, and at the end of
the semester and “I got straight A’s,” and that he “knew no one would stop me.”
Emelia
Emelia shared,
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One of the stories too that they would tell us a lot, how it was so hard and it was a
struggle immigrating to the United States. I remember my dad said that he came first
when he was really young. He was twelve when he came by himself with my uncle. He
said that it was really hard. The first time it was kind of easier because there wasn’t as
much protection on the border like there was years later. Then when him and my mom
tried to come together when they had recently gotten married they got deported back
three times and didn’t make it until I think the fourth time. They were able to come here.
They said it was really hard. They were on the desert. They had to cross rivers. They say
people die through the way, children dying. They said that it was just a horrible
experience but they said that if they had to do it again they would do it again. I was like,
“Why is Mexico that bad?” They would say, “There’s nothing there. There’s nothing for
us there. It’s a simple life but then you guys don’t have education. There’s no good
education for you guys there.” Since both of their families was really poor they were like,
“It wasn’t worth it.” When my dad came here he said that there was better opportunities,
that there was more education. He was actually getting paid money versus over there he
wouldn’t get paid money. He would get paid cents. He said that he saw a better future in
his kids here in the United States than back in Mexico. My mom would tell me, “You
have to learn from my experiences to be a better person so you won’t make the same
mistakes that I made.”
Here, Emelia shared an example of the lesson of struggle for her family to immigrate to the
United States. In this example, she stated she would asked her dad, “Why is Mexico that bad?”
and that he would respond “there’s nothing there. There’s nothing for us there. It’s a simple life
but then you guys don’t have an education. There’s no good education for you guys there.”
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Emelia also shared that her mom wanted her to “learn from my experiences to be a better person
so you won’t make the same mistakes that I made.” This experience signified the importance of
education for the family on behalf of her parents, and when Emelia discussed the significance of
this experience, she spoke about how it was motivational.
It makes me feel bad that they had to go through this struggle of crossing. They had to
put their lives in danger. I don’t know. I can’t imagine myself going through the process
of coming here. It looks so hard and to me it makes me feel responsible and it makes me
want to actually do something to show them, Yeah, you guys came here for a reason. You
guys had to struggle through all that to see us succeed and do something. It makes me
motivated to do something, to keep coming to school.
Here, Emelia described that some form of her persistence in school originated from the
internalization of the experience that her family had endured in immigrating to the United States.
Emelia shared that the lesson of struggle “makes me feel responsible.” Emelia has exhibited her
“responsibility” to her education and her “motivation” in her ability to overcome “struggles.”
She shared,
I think it’s hard for me because I’m a mom so it’s kind of different because I see other
students ... They don’t really have another responsibility, not another person that’s there,
so when they’re all like, “Oh, we’re going to do this. We’re going to do that.” They’re
like, “Can you do it?” I’m just like, “No, I can’t do it.” I have to go with my daughter and
stuff. They’re like, “Oh, just take her,” but they don’t know how hard it is. Yeah, I’ll take
her but she’s going to get fussy or she’s going to want to leave and it’s not simple, you
know? I guess they just don’t get it, my struggles.
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In this example, she discussed the difficulty of managing the responsibility of being a student
and a mother, “I think it’s hard for me because I’m a mom so it’s kind of different because I see
other students…..they don’t really have another responsibility, not another person that’s there.”
Despite her additional responsibilities, Emelia has persisted in school and expressed her success
and continued to maintain her “responsibility” in obtaining her education. She shared a time
during her first semester when she was challenged with the management of her responsibilities
and persisted,
Passing my classes, the first semester, because it was hard having my daughter and
having to take care of her and still coming to school and just struggling with math.
Because that was one of the things I struggled with. I guess passing my classes with A’s
and B’s was the happiest moment that when I saw my grades I was like Okay, I’m
actually doing good. That motivated me to go for spring and keep going, seeing that I
actually did get good grades, and that I could do it.
As discussed earlier, Emelia’s dad shared that through the lesson of struggle, he placed emphasis
on education and obtaining an education and that was one of his primary reasons for enduring the
struggle. Emelia provided an example when the perception of her culture in relation to
education, as described by her dad, played a role in her persistence.
My dad always told us that Mexicans are really hard workers. I guess that’s one of the ...
He said that we’re supposed to be hard-working because people perceive Mexicans as
lazy and stuff so he said that we have to change their perspective of seeing us so the only
way we’re going to do that is by studying and being educated and not being lazy like they
say.

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Estevan
Estevan shared a lesson of struggle his mother would often share with him,
What she always tells me that when she lived in Mexico, we were so poor that she could
barely afford any shoes, and that I always used to wear shirts that didn’t fit me, because
they were too small, and I think this is always a story that comes to mind when I want to
do something, because it encourages me. It makes me understand where I really do come
from; Mexico-poor community in Mexico City.
Estevan continued to discuss how he has internalized this story and it has led to his persistence
and success in school.
I think I use it all the time now when I go to school. Not only that, but I use everything in
general; doing my homework, and when I find it difficult or challenging, I want to give
up, I use my positive thoughts, which includes that story. Man, my mom didn’t bring me
to the United States for no reason. We didn’t cross here for nothing. I didn’t cross here
to become a criminal. I came here to be something of myself. I always think about that. I
need to do this, and I can pull it off. Remembering that, and knowing that my mom did a
lot for me to come here and she wants me to do good, so I always think about that.
Here, in this example, Estevan provided how he has internalized and used the lessons of
struggles from his family to be persistent and successful in school; “doing my homework, and
when I find it difficult or challenging, I want to give up, I use my positive thoughts, which
includes that story.” Estevan provided an example of how he demonstrated the internalization in
school,
I try to figure it out myself. I try to challenge myself first. Try to figure out if I can pull it
off my myself and I’ll do it. After doing it I will go to someone, like a teacher, or
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someone I know that might have a good knowledge on this and be like, “What do you
think of this?” “Oh yeah, okay.” I’m doing the right thing. “So what do you think of
this?” “Oh no you’re doing bad.” Okay now you give me feedback.
In this example, Estevan discussed his strategy for figuring out a problem with a particular
homework assignment. He shared, “try to figure it out if I can pull it off myself and I’ll do it.”
This example was demonstrative of his use of the lesson of struggle, the application in school
and his persistence.
In addition, Estevan shared his perception on education,
Education, the more you learn, the more you get older, the more you create wisdom, the
more you understand these and the more you see the world differently and it makes you
confident about what you want to do with yourself. And that’s what’s going on with me.
The more I keep going to school and living in the world and getting wisdom and
knowledge every day I think that’s what helps me.
Estevan had shared that “I came here to be something of myself.” In this example, Estevan was
making strides towards being “something.” He discussed what “helps” him and “going to
school” was one of the things he perceived to be beneficial for him. Estevan also shared an
additional motivation to be persistence and successful in school,
I actually see my mom living in apartment with my uncle, and my sister, and it’s not a
well looking nice apartment, and the everyday life to them that’s how we are; that’s the
norm. We’re products of that environment. You’ve seen that; I don’t even know if it’s
culture. Just seeing that motivates me to even do better at school, or to continue in
pursuing a higher education, because I want to bring them out of that hole. They’re
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depending on my success, and I want to do it. I want to bring them out of that place, and I
want to show them, expose them to other things.
In this example, Estevan focused on his family and lessons of struggle he had observed and
learned through his families’ struggles. Witnessing his family struggle financially and living in
“not a well looking nice apartment,” has been influential in Estevan’s desire to succeed; “we’re
products of that environment.” Estevan continued to discuss that “just seeing that motivates me
to even do better at school, or to continue in pursuing a higher education, because I want to bring
them out of that hole.” In addition, Estevan expressed that he felt a sense of responsibility and
that his family was “depending on my success, and I want to do it. I want to bring them out of
that place, and I want to show them, expose them to other things.” In this statement, Estevan
was taking on the responsibility of showing his family a life outside of their current situation,
their struggle. This responsibility, the environmental factor; his family, was driving his
persistence to succeed in school.
Gabriela
Gabriela shared a lesson of struggle experienced by her family and why they were unable
to continue their educational studies,
My mom wasn’t able to get educated because she lived with her family. She had about
seven siblings, mom and dad worked very hard in the farmland. She was a maid to help
out. She was one of the oldest daughters so she was given the job of babysitting
everybody else, feeding everybody else. Going out to sell vegetables and contribute to
her family each and every week. That was my mom’s experience, and my dad’s
experience was that his dad died from I think it was a tumor that he had in his brain, so he
was left with mom and siblings and he also had to leave school at an early age so both of
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them always applied that to us. “We, because of our life experiences, we weren’t able to
achieve an education but you guys have it” so for them, that’s very important, very, very
important. That I take it very seriously.
Gabriela expressed that the story spoke to her by motivating her to persist,
It speaks to me because I didn’t experience exactly what they experienced, but I did
experience a different type of ... A lack of resources when I was in Mexico. I do kind of
have a sense of where they’re coming from with their experience. I’m able to identify
with them as well. I’m able to understand why they’re implementing the same storyline
over and over. It has an influence into my life because like I said, I can with all that
experience that is shared to me and my personal experience and coming into a country
where we are given more than we were given in our own country. It makes me dream
higher than if I were to be in Mexico, I probably just would have just finished high school
and that would be enough. Now, coming in here, it gives me just various open doors
where I can choose more for me. What kind of future do I want for myself? What are my
goals? I get to set my own goals, but not my lifestyle. If I was still in Mexico, it would
have been like my lifestyle of how I was raised ... Here you can succeed, you can set your
own goals.
Here, in this example, Gabriela discussed how she has internalized the lessons of struggle her
family endured due to a lack of resources in Mexico. She continued to share how now, here in
the United States she has opportunities that have allowed her to “dream higher.” Gabriela shared
how if she would have remained in Mexico, “I probably just would have just finished high
school and that would be enough. Now, coming in here, it gives me just various open doors
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where I can choose more for me.” Her choices to “dream higher” have influenced her
persistence in school to set goals and reach them.
Another lesson of struggle that Gabriela shared stemmed from financial struggle.
Gabriela shared,
There’s just, of course money-wise was a big issue, about money. When we came here,
we had to share an apartment with my aunt. Not only was me, my brother and my dad
living in a living room, in a living room, the living room, we were renting the living
room. Also, my dad’s brother had migrated to the United States, so he came and joined us
with his son. It was six of us living in the really tight, small space and we were doing so
because my dad had a lot of debts because he brought us here, so he spent all his savings.
We were just tied down to a small little spot where he was renting because that was all he
could afford back then. He was working in construction in Malibu, but it was a job that
wasn’t permanently ... It was in something where each day he just went and tried to find a
job in construction and cleaning and it was just any type of job he could have just
afforded. He was traveling all the way to Malibu because that was the only chance that he
would get a good paying salary you can say. I think that was the most difficult
experience that I have lived. Having to be in a very narrow space with not all the same
attributions that other kids were having back then. Like my elementary friends playing,
going out with their families to Disneyland. I never experienced that until I became a
teenager and I was able to attend with my cousins and I wasn’t able to have the same
childhood as my other friends just because my parents weren’t able to give me that kind
of lifestyle. Even then for me just being realized that there was something different. I
think I would get sad during that of course because I wouldn’t be able to participate in
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other activities but come back home and the only way to play was play outside, that’s all
you had. Weekends, our weekends were spent at home playing with my brother, playing
jump rope, hide and seek. It wasn’t, “Okay, we’re going to go out to a park. We’re going
to ... “Just anywhere. We didn’t have the ability to go out anywhere else because my
mom didn’t know the country. She wasn’t able to go around plus we didn’t have money
to go out. I remember even before my dad would only give my brother money for one-
way passage for school. Back then I think the fee was or the fare fee was $1.25 so that’s
all my dad could have provided to my brother. Late evenings, we would go pick up my
brother. The school was about 10 miles, we would walk 10 miles or maybe less, maybe
eight. We would walk over, pick up my brother. We’d come back home walking because
we didn’t have money to pick him up from school. Sometimes it was raining, so we’d
come back home very soaked from walking home in water and that was pretty sad. The
clothes that I would wear back then, it was clothes that was given to me by my cousins,
my neighbors because we didn’t have money to go out and purchase clothes. I think that
they only thing my dad bought us was shoes because we couldn’t fit the other kids’ size.
That was the only thing my dad contributed with, and food.
In this example, Gabriela spoke about the lessons of struggle her family endured financially.
Gabriela expressed how she internalized the struggle,
When I think back about those memories, it just reminds me of what I’m here for. It
reminds me that I have to accomplish my goals of becoming someone in life. My dream
is getting my PhD. I want to do that. I think about the effort not only that my family did,
but also my personal effort that I put into this because it’s not easy coming to school and
having to deal with work. I’m sure others do it the same way, but my personal experience
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in here with the work permit now thanks to DACA, but even before, it just helps me, it
motivates me, it reminds me of I have come this far way. Not to give up but just to
continue farther more. It gives me confidence in who I am. It makes me feel that if I was
able to learn a second language, I’m able to learn anything else in life. If I was able to
adapt to a different lifestyle, I can adapt to anything else, and that no other struggle will
destroy me. I’ve overcome really I think a lot of issues, like as in water, all my situations
where we’ve overcame with my family together so I think I can overcome anything else.
Gabriela stated that these memories “reminds me of what I’m here for. It reminds me that I have
to accomplish my goals of becoming someone in life.” She was persistent due to the struggles,
the environmental factors, her family has experienced. Gabriela continued to discuss how “if I
was able to adapt to a different lifestyle, I can adapt to anything else, and that no other struggle
will destroy me.” In that statement she refered to adapting to the lifestyle in the United States
after migration. In addition, she identified that “all my situations where we’ve overcame with
my family together so I think I can overcome anything else.” Here, Gabriela referenced the
family unit, overcoming struggle together and the belief in that if she can overcome all that the
family has thus far, they can overcome anything.
Gabriela shared another lesson of struggle experienced by she and her family,
It was sad. It was terrifying. WE didn’t know if we were going to cross the border. We
didn’t know if we were going to make it. It was really hard letting go of our home,
family. For me, it was tough leaving my friends and leaving behind everything else that I
had. My grandparents, I lived with my grandma, my dad’s mom so it was really hard to
just let go of that. We left without thinking of going back, for sure. I know that was not
my mom’s idea nor my dad’s, but they didn’t tell us directly saying like, “Oh, we’re
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going to come back soon.” They didn’t mention it, but not at that time. Now they do
sometimes. They’re aware of it that we’re not going to go back. It’s sad because if we
ever do, our family won’t be there now. My mom’s mom, she died five years ago and
none of us could have made it because we didn’t have that opportunity to travel back to
Mexico and bury her and that was really sad, it was really sad. Coming, our whole way
of crossing the border was very difficult. We are from this place in Mexico far down
south. We had to travel all the way up north. We took an airplane to the City of Mexico, a
few buses to get us around farther up north Senora, and other farther north places closest
to Arizona and El Paso, Texas. We were traveling on different buses for three or four
days until we hit this place called Villa del Marise It’s more in-between Senora and
somewhere else, farther up north. We were there with I’d say about 15 other people who
were coming from other places or who were just waiting to have the chance to cross the
border. We were there for another three days and every night, it was just very ... All of us
felt very anxious about leaving that place, crossing the border. One night, we left like
around, I’d say after midnight. We drove through the desert, the desert this was, it was a
very late night. There was like about 15 of us in one vehicle. A few of us were on top of
each other. We were all crumpled and a few people were in the trunk. There was a point
where we encountered, we were getting closer to encounter an immigration car and so we
had to leave the vehicle. All of us, the doors were open and we just had to jump
regardless of what part you were going to hit on. We were dropped off when this
happened. We were dropped off in a place where there was a lot of cactus, there was
hardly any trees. It was a dry place. It was in the middle of the desert. Everybody just
scattered everywhere. Like I mentioned about the cactus, everybody had cactus in their
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clothes and it was very uncomfortable because we had it all over our bodies and our
clothes, our hair, I remember that. My mom, because of the darkness and we didn’t know
where we were going, she tripped. She hurt her knee and it was really hard for her to
walk because we had eight hours of walking. We were coming, we were walking, we
were given a break in-between. Everybody was very exhausted. We found a small little
empty dry river and we slept in and covered ourselves with sand. Then as the morning
came by, it was seven, we were getting closer to another place where this Native
American Indian, this Indian home. We were transported to a car after walking for so
long, we got to this house and we transported a car to come to Arizona and it was a few
of us. Everybody was separated and I remember my mom, she was supposed to go in a
different vehicle and me and my brother were supposed to go into a different car, and so
my mom got a little aggressive with this guy because she didn’t want us to separate. The
guy got very aggressive as well. He said to us, “Well, I’m going to send you guys back.”
My mom had no other option than letting the three of us just go our separate ways.
Ultimately, the guy felt really sad about our situation because me and my brother were
small, we were crying, we didn’t want to let go of our mom. We didn’t want to go our
separate ways, so the guy was like okay, after being very aggressive to us, “Get here in
the car. I’m going to take all of you guys” but he was very mad. His attitude was just very
negative throughout the whole way. He dropped us off at a hotel in Arizona where he
didn’t sign my mom in, but he signed me and my brother in the hotel. Two hours later,
the person in charge of the hotel comes in, knocks on the door and says to my mom in
English, back then we didn’t recognize any of her words. All she was saying was that my
mom wasn’t registered for the hotel and that therefore, she was going to kick us out. We
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didn’t know what was happening because we were supposed to wait for our coyote to
come by and pick us up from Arizona to bring us to the United States. That was a
different coyote guy that brought us from Mexico. It was another one that was supposed
to just drive us to the United States after crossing the border, which we had already done.
She knew that we were immigrants trying to get to the United States, so she told my mom
that if you don’t pay an extra amount of money, she was going to deport us back to
Mexico after the whole struggle that we had already been ... The whole walking, crossing
the border. Then for a strange reason, our coyote shows up and he comes in and he’s like,
“No it’s fine, they’re coming with me. It’s fine. We’re going to leave this place now.”
Then he pulls out $20, he gives it to the lady and the lady’s like, “What’s going on?” She
starts calling the police and he starts making a report and the guy just takes us in and he
says, “Jump into the car now.” Then we leave Arizona and we drive for like a couple of
hours. We drive into another place and we were told, “You guys are not yet in Los
Angeles.” Because that was our destination. Not home yet. We spent another night
somewhere else until the next day, we get out from that place and we come to the United
States. We get to LA finally. Very, very tired and like anxiously ... Meet the place where
we’re going to sleep and we were thinking my dad had his own place back then. We
didn’t expect to come in and live, and share with my aunt. We knew she was around, but
we didn’t know we were going to come by, so it was very different to adapt to that life.
We come in and I’m expecting to be in my own room because that’s what I had in
Mexico, and we have two couches and “Yes, you can sleep there.” We were just kind of
shocked. We’re like, “Okay, I guess that’s all we have so we’re just going to slip in.”
Like I said, my dad’s brother also came in with his son, so it made it a little difficult. We
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were there for a few years and then my mom was able to get a job and we moved out on
our own. We were able to make it on our own. Ever since then, we’re now doing okay. It
was really rough. We expected something else. I expected a way different lifestyle than I
actually had in the beginning. I remember opening the window thinking, “Oh, maybe this
is going to be my room.” I looked through and it was just like the outside street view. I
was kind of confused about where I was.
In this example, Gabriela shared the lesson of struggle she and her family experienced
immigrating to the United States. Gabriela stated that her father had played a very motivational
role in her life in regard to education and obtaining her goals. In addition, Gabriela had shared
that a portion of her motivation to achieve a higher education originated from her father and a
statement she often recalled, “We, because of our life experiences, we weren’t able to achieve an
education but you guys have it.” The lesson of struggle migrating to the United States is just one
of those “life experiences,” and that the reason for enduring the struggle of immigration was so
that Gabriela had an opportunity at higher education and she could “dream higher.” Gabriela
shared how her father was a motivation in her life because of the importance he placed on
education and continued to reiterate this to her much of her life. Gabriela stated,
Yeah, my dad, he always would talk to us. He’d always says, “We traveled this far, not
for you guys to mess around and be like the other kids outside. You have to be different.”
My dad always reminded me, especially me, because I’m his girl so ... He gets really
upset about my brother because he discontinued school, so he’s very upset about that.
Other than that, I think he’s the one motivating me as well because he’s constantly
reminding me where we came from and why we should not let other life experiences
disturb our dreams, our goals of succeeding.
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In this example, Gabriela recalled her father speaking to her about education and the
significance; “We traveled this far, not for you guys to mess around and be like the other kids
outside. You have to be different.” In this statement, her father referenced “traveled this far,” in
the context of migrating to the United States. Gabriela shared that she felt “motivated” by her
father because “he’s constantly reminding me where we came from and why we should not let
other life experiences disturb our dreams, our goals of succeeding.” Here, “other life
experiences” could be contributed to various environmental factors that could have an effect on
her persistence, however, Gabriela had internalized the lessons of struggle, combined with her
father’s support and continued to persist to pursue her “goals of succeeding.”
Theme 2: Students Expressed an Additional Form of Individual Struggle as a Result of
Socio-Cultural Conflict and the Receipt of Dual Messages from Their Parents. Parents
Simultaneously Supported and Undermined Their Efforts to Persist.
Four of the six, or 66% shared individual struggle as a result of one or all of the following
issues: socio-cultural conflict, dual messages, their families’ lack of knowledge on navigating
college, and the inability to understand the commitment necessary to navigate college for the
purposes of persistence and success. For this analysis, I drew from the literature on families and
the significant role that families play on an individual’s ability to improve their strengths. The
literature revealed that setting high expectations in a caring and supportive environment was
influential (Garza et al., 2004). In addition, responsive parents, providing consistent support was
also important (Luthar & Zelazo, 2003). The second-year Latino community college students
acknowledged that while their parents had limited knowledge about the specific processes of
education, they did provide other forms of support (Ceballo, 2004). For the purposes of this
analysis, social-cultural conflict and dual messages were conflicting messages that the students
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received from their families about significance of obtaining an education, as well as the
significance in supporting their families.
Julia
Julia shared her individual struggle of navigating college alone. She stated,
The greatest challenge during the first year was doing it by myself, not like I had to do it
along with someone else but you don’t know how to do it because you have never seen
someone do it. Since I am the first one doing this it is all brand new, like how to find
information, how do I enroll in that class, how do I fill out my financial aid application or
the fee waiver application. Like what do you do, or how do you develop your academic
plan so you kind of have to start learning how to do that and its scary because you are
doing it by yourself and I can’t talk to my sister and ask like how do you do that, or my
mom, or anyone else in my family.
This example demonstrated Julia’s lesson of struggle because her family was unable to provide
the support in navigating the experience of college. Julia spoke of her inability to speak to any
of her family members about the specific processes in college, “I can’t talk to my sister and ask
like how do you do that, or my mom, or anyone else in my family.” In addition, Julia shared an
experience with her sister that demonstrated a form of socio-cultural conflict and dual-messages.
She stated,
I forgot like the dichos, but I think it’s, um, I don’t remember it, but sometimes when it’s
like, a consejos, my sister, she’s like, let me tell you something, she’s like, you need to
start like um, be there for us, be there around us, she’s like, because you never know,
she’s like but school will always be there. She’s like and then, and it hasn’t helped me at
school sometimes because when I am like do I prioritize studying or spending time with
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my family, it’s like ok if I go with my family, then I am jeopardizing all this, but if I
decide to study, then I am jeopardizing spending time with them and they are going to be
like, oh this happened and you weren’t there. And I feel like in the future, you weren’t
there, you were sitting down reading a book instead of being there with me. So that
makes it really hard and it’s not helpful at all.
Julia acknowledged that she struggled in prioritizing her studying and spending time with her
family; “like do I prioritize studying or spending time with my family, it’s like ok if I go with my
family, then I am jeopardizing all this, but if I decide to study, then I am jeopardizing spending
time with them.” In addition, Julia identified that these conflicting messages from her sister
“makes it really hard and it’s not helpful at all.” In order to manage these conflicting messages,
Julia demonstrated how she had become resourceful on campus and through the use of those
resources had found support that her family was unable to provide. Julia stated,
Joining the SoCal College Experience program (SCE) I think that was the best thing that
I ever did. I always tell them that whenever they need help with anything to let me know.
I am very grateful for that program and being part of it because they were very supportive
and they guided through college during the first year. They build strong communities of
students to help each other and not feel so alienated in college like we didn’t belong
there. They had the counselor that you see and he would set us up with an educational
plan so you wouldn’t have to do it all by yourself or go to a different counselor in a
different department that wouldn’t even know your name and would just go off your
student ID number, they knew you personally, at least with me, they always told me
about this program opening and you should join or you should take these classes. They
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take interest in your success and push you for retention and make sure you don’t slip
through the cracks.
Here, Julia discussed the SCE program and that they “were very supportive and guided through
college during the first year.” The program served an influential purpose in her ability to not feel
“all by myself,” and provided support for her when faced with conflicting messages from her
family. Julia shared that even though her mom was unable to help her with specific college
processes, she did provide support. Julia discussed that she often goes to her mom for advice,
I go to my Mom for advice, because I trust her and I think we have been together, yeah,
like, since forever and I don’t know, who else would I go to? I don’t know who else I
would go to and have enough trust to be like hey. I guess for some stuff you do go for
other people, but for her for advice it’s like for some things, because as parents they
know like, they can give you good advice on some things but not everything because
sometimes they give you like, well for school I can ask her about school stuff and advise
me and tell me where to decide to go. But if you look at the whole thing, she doesn’t take
into account, like how much it is going to cost, like um, am I going to feel comfortable
there, how far it is, yeah, but it’s kind of like very like, ok, well do this and that, but they
don’t fully understand everything.
In this example, she acknowledged that her mom provided support through “advice,” and at
times she can offer advice on school, however, Julia stated that her mother “doesn’t take into
account, like how much it is going to cost, like um, am I going to feel comfortable there, how far
is it.” She acknowledged that she goes to her mother for “advice,” because she “trusts her,”
however, she was unable to “fully understand everything.” Julia elaborated and stated,
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I wouldn’t say its education but it’s like, I think they are always worried about just living
day by day. They are not really worried about the future I know, like, you kind of have to
worry about today, but they focus too much on that. Like sometimes my Mom is like,
ugh, before, she would eat a lot of sweets, she would be like I am just going to eat it
because what if I die tomorrow. You can’t think like that, you never know, but what if
you don’t, you have to have a plan for the future. Like with school, it’s like, like every
semester, especially during midterms I just sit there and I’m like always studying and
she’s like ok like, like you are doing homework, whatever, she’s like that’s good, she lets
me do it, I know you are busy, I’m not going to bug you, but then she’s like, stop, you
look so tired, go to your break, and I’m just like, I can’t I need this to pass this test, or I
need this to turn in tomorrow. And it’s like, that’s what I mean she doesn’t get the
importance in and all of the effort you are putting into the work.
Here, Julia discussed how her mom was supportive of her, “she’s like that’s good.” However,
she would then tell her, “stop, you look so tired, go to your break.” Julia expressed her
frustration in the dual-messages and her mother’s inability to understand the time commitment it
takes for her to persist and be successful in school. Julia shared, “it’s like, that’s what I mean she
doesn’t get the importance in and all of the effort you are putting into the work.”
An additional socio-cultural conflict example that Julia shared was her families
reoccurring discussion about her getting married. Julia shared,
Yes, they always talk about getting married, that’s a big culture thing for women. It’s
like you should get married, you have to get married, when are you going to have kids?
How many do you want? It’s like I am not even thinking about that. So when they say
like go find a boyfriend, it’s like I say “want me to go look right now?” Jokingly, it’s like
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I am not going to be like “oh yeah I am looking for someone or put an ad on craigslist,” if
it happens, it happens, but I am not interested right now, I would just rather do other
stuff.
In this example, Julia demonstrated her ability to navigate socio-cultural conflict and remain
persistent and focus on “other stuff,” that included obtaining her educational goals.
Rodrigo
Rodrigo shared a lesson of struggle in that he was unable to go to his mom, or anyone in his
family for advice about school. He stated,
She’s just a person to go and joke around with. Um, although lately she has been on her,
she’s been giving me attitude, but, um, I go to her when I just have more friend issues. I
can’t go to her for school. There is no one I really go to in my family for school, um,
because no one really knows. No one rally has that experience. So they are never
someone to go to.
In this example, Rodrigo discussed how his family lacked the knowledge about school, “no one
really knows.” Therefore, he perceived they were unable to provide him support in the form of
advice about school. However, Rodrigo acknowledged that his family offered support in other
ways, and in fact stated,
I think it’s really important to succeeding in school that I have a family that is willing to
support me within my first few years of college because I know that’s super difficult for
some students, especially in the Hispanic community, that they just don’t have that
support.
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In this example, Rodrigo identified that his family was supportive of his college, however, he
knew that other students do not have the same support. Rodrigo continued to discuss dual-
messages and socio-cultural conflict that were representative of lessons of struggle. He shared,
They have things to worry about, they have family to worry about, family obligations,
especially if you have a car and you are the only one that drives. Sometimes that was me
because my Dad works and in the mornings, and afternoons I have to take someone to
church, I have to take someone to, mostly to church or I have to take my Mom
somewhere, or my grandma. You know? And if my Tia can’t do it then I’ll do it, and so
sometimes that cuts back especially with like me I don’t work and I don’t have kids, I put
myself in the position of those that do have kids and those that do have work and have
their family and have their kid to worry about, and their job, and all of these things to
juggle, and I don’t know that would be a headache to me and of course I would give up in
school. That would make me give up in school. And I mean I understand that, but it
would be easier if their families could help them move forward and not just set them
back. Then that’s why again I thank God that I am not in that situation, you know? I
might have some problems with sexuality and um, and that’s it really, but you know other
than that my family is there. And that’s super important for me and my success and how
I was brought up. You know? I wasn’t, they didn’t like, at least my Mom pushed me,
you know. I would see my aunt and how she brought up her kids and I always try to
imitate them as well and that helps definitely.
Here, Rodrigo acknowledged that other students had outside obligations such as work or children
that influenced their ability to persist. He also stated, “that would be a headache to me and of
course I would give up in school. That would make me give up in school.” In this statement, he
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identified that if he were in the situation that he would be unable to persist. However, he
identified that one of the influential factors in his persistence was his family and their ability to
be supportive.
Then that’s why again I thank God that I am not in that situation, you know? I might
have some problems with sexuality and um, and that’s it really, but you know other than
that my family is there. And that’s super important for me and my success and how I was
brought up.
It is important to note in the statement above that Rodrigo briefly mentioned that he “might have
some problems with sexuality and um, and that’s it really.” The issue of sexuality was discussed
in an earlier theme.
Miguel
Miguel shared his individual lesson of struggle and his father’s inability to navigate specific
college processes. He stated, “my father couldn’t help me apply for a 4-year college or a
community college, so having those skills to pass on to my children is one thing that I can see
myself having once I finish with my college.” In this example, Miguel discussed his father’s
inability to navigate college and help him with those specific skills, however, Miguel revealed a
sense of motivation and that he hoped to obtain these skillsets and more “focusing on
experiences and skills that I can pass on to my children, like, you could do it this way or you
could even do it better than me.” In addition, Miguel provided an example of socio-cultural
conflict and how he was able to overcome and navigate this conflict. He stated,
I think yeah, culture did play a big role, because being able to be, I can say be free of the
old culture, or the Catholic culture that we had. All these things make a difference. I
notice my cousins, or other family that I still have, they still follow a culture that if you’re
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the adult and the guy in the house, you should provide the food, the income. If you’re
going to school, you should focus more on working. That’s one of the cultures that kind
of came through my life, but thanks to my dad he was able to not reframe it or change it,
but just take out the good things about the culture and pass it on to me. This was, I was
able to do the same thing. Even though my culture in the beginning was being influenced
by others, of this negative environment that I was getting in to, I was able to reframe it or
just kept the good things about it and definitely stayed about my higher education. Yeah,
and be able to become even more focused on school.
Here, Miguel discussed how he was “free of the old culture” and that “all of these things make a
difference.” He described how in the old culture, “if you’re the adult and the guy in the house,
you should provide the food, the income. If you’re going to school, you should focus more on
working.” Miguel stated that he was able to navigate the socio-cultural conflict and be “free of
the old culture” because of his father’s ability to “just take out the good things about the culture
and pass it on to me.” He acknowledged that “I was able to reframe is or just keep the good
things about it and definitely stayed about my higher education. Yeah, and be able to become
even more focused on school.” This experience and his ability to “reframe” enabled Miguel to
focus more on school, thus him being more persistent.
Gabriela
Gabriela provided a lesson of struggle and socio-cultural conflict that she experienced
with her family. She stated,
I don’t follow everything they say of course because I’m growing up and I’m trying to
think on my own and I’m trying to do it. I might not have ... We face different issues now
because I think they were raised in a very religious village so they expect you to have the
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same ... They want to impose their religion in my life and that’s where it becomes an
issue to me because they think I’m betraying their religion, which is Catholicism. For
them, it’s very important to be in mass on Sundays. As for me, I have taken a different
route in terms of religion so we do have issues regarding that. Even though their histories
and their experience has motivated me and has shaped my identity, there are other things
that have influenced me in terms of me creating my own identity. Sometimes they feel
like I’m a rebel because I’ve taken a different route in that sense and that’s something
that they’re not willing to understand, so I have a lot of conflicts with that at home.
In this example, Gabriela discussed that she has “a lot of conflicts with that at home,”
referencing her sharing the same religious beliefs of her family. She discussed how she has
“taken a different route in terms of religion.” Gabriela acknowledged that “even though their
histories and their experience has motivated me and has shaped my identity, there are other
things that have influenced me in terms of me creating my own identity.” Part of creating her
own identity and choosing to “take a different route,” was demonstrative of her autonomy,
independence, and personal control of herself and her environment.
Gabriela also shared another lesson of struggle in that her family, particularly her mother
was unable to provide knowledge and guidance on specific processes with college. However,
she provided support in other forms. Gabriela stated,
Yeah, she’s my main resource, my mom. Before I do anything, I always tell her. Even if
she’s not aware of it, she’s willing just to listen to me. Then she can help me out. For
example, when I was learning how to drive, she wasn’t able to help me out to go through
all the DMV process or college, signing up for it, she wasn’t able to help me that way,
but I think just the fact that I can call her and tell her how things are going and just the
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way she questions me about things, I see her influence of how interested she is about me
getting to my destination. She tries to help me out by doing my laundry when I can’t.
Preparing me sandwiches. Making sure that sometimes I’m able to find parking outside.
She does smaller things even though she’s not physically with me at every process, but I
think she’s there mentally and spiritually with different things she does.
Here, in this example, Gabriela discussed how her mother was unable to provide support in
college, signing up for college, however, she was able to provide support by the fact that
Gabriela could “call her and tell her how things are going and just the way she questions me
about things.” Gabriela acknowledged that by her mother being there to talk and asking
questions, she could “see her influence of how interested she is about me getting to my
destination.” This engagement was influential in Gabriela’s ability to persist, because her
mother was providing support by caring.
Overall, the data revealed that the students internalized lessons of struggle or pedagogies
of survival that had either been experience by their families and shared with the student or that
the students had experienced personally. As a result of these experiences, the students developed
critical resilience in the forms of orgullo (pride), sabiduria (wisdom) and consejos (advice)
(Campa, 2013). In addition, the students shared experiences of cultural conflict with family
members and the struggles that emerged as a result of dual-messages from their environments.
The students shared an overwhelming feeling of navigating the college experience alone and a
misalignment in their families’ ability to understand their goals (Deil-Amen, 2011). In a similar
way, the literature supported these feelings, that parents often are limited in their knowledge
about the processes of education, therefore are unable to provide support in that capacity,
however, students are supported in other ways (Ceballo, 2004).
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Theme 3: Students Shared the Way that Their Own Lessons of Struggle Had Been
Internalized as Forms of Critical Resilience.
All six of the students, or 100% shared lessons of struggle from their own experiences.
For this analysis, I drew from the literature on lessons of struggle and how these lessons can be
experienced by the student and expressed in stories of survival (Campa, 2013). The literature
revealed that the student internalized the stories provided in forms of orgullo (pride), sabiduria
(wisdom) and consejos (advice) (Campa, 2013).
Julia
Julia shared about a personal lesson of struggle in regard to her AB540 status, as an
undocumented student. Julia stated when she came to college, she had mixed emotions about her
level of preparation for college. However, she demonstrated her persistence to overcome the
challenge of her lack of preparedness, in addition, overcome her undocumented, AB540 status,
I think I did and I didn’t because it was more self-driven, I think so, because I didn’t want
to be in the same situation that I was before, not in school and just working. Yes, So, yes
I kind of wanted, I had to do it regardless of what it took.
In this example, Julia identified that she was “self-driven,” because prior to school she
experienced a lesson of struggle where she was only working. “I am doing good in school. I
think I have always liked school, but my AB540 status always had an influence over that.
Because you see it as your options are very limited or all doors are closed to you.” Here, in this
example, Julia discussed that previously, her lack of enrollment was due to her AB540 status,
and not due to her lack of interest in school. In addition, Julia provided insight and perception as
to why she was “self-driven.”
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I think being AB540 and getting the opportunity to apply for DACA. You want to do
what you never could so you have to work harder to achieve that goal. So you kind of
stay motivated to work hard and earn good grades. When there is an opportunity you just
want to take it, you want to take advantage of it.
In this example, Julia expressed how it felt to be an AB540 student and “getting the opportunity
to apply for DACA.” She had discussed how her status of being AB540 had influenced her
ability to attend school and now that she had the opportunity, “you want to do what you never
could, so you have to work harder to achieve that goal.” Here, Julia demonstrated her lesson of
struggle with her AB540 status and the limitations and how she internalized that lesson. She
provided an example of how she applied the lesson of struggle and continued to persist in school
to reach her goals and “stay motivated to work hard and earn good grades.”
Rodrigo
Rodrigo’s lesson of struggle shared commonalities with Julia around issues with identity.
Rodrigo shared,
Yeah, there is um, with like I don’t know with like sexuality and stuff like that my family
is just like uhhhh. They don’t really talk about that kind of stuff. Like in the beginning
when I started coming out and I didn’t come out and my Mom just fucking told me one
day like, I already know you are and I started sobbing and of course she told me don’t be
so, don’t expose yourself as much and don’t be so apparent. No quiero que nadie se
entere (I do not want anyone to know). What else did my Dad say, my Dad said
something super bad. Basically tell me like oh, just don’t be too gay, don’t be like this,
or like that, or talk high pitched and flamboyant. Of course I listened to them and I don’t,
I’m not that type of person to be like that and I know that my Dad taught me that. To be
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like that. But of course there are times where I am. My parents don’t find out, but I’ll go
out to clubs, they don’t know I go out to clubs with my gay friends but you know its
normal. I’ll go with them every now and then; its not something I do daily, its something
I do every other Thursday night when I don’t have school and I know I have time to do it
and go with my friends and have fun. My parents they don’t have to find out about that,
but you know there are instances when I do. Sexuality as in being gay, but I don’t know
at first it fucking hurt it was just like what the hell and it was just right after church and I
came from my confirmation class and I was just like, and like I said my family is very
close so they talk and word spreads so fast. So that day I had just came out of class and I
posted a picture on Facebook one time and my Mom tells me, she’s like, I saw the picture
and I saw this and that and you guys should be ashamed of yourself because you did this
and you should, you know, why do you go to church? Why do you come to church, you
aren’t learning anything? A man should be with a woman. I was like how the fuck did
you guys find out? She was like your Tia called me. I was like which Tia? She told me
the one from Sacramento. I was like what the fuck, how the fuck, why the fuck would
she call you? What does she have to do with anything? Of course my family is super
close, but still! That day it just scared me. I was like what the hell you fucking told me
all this shit and they told me bad things and I was just there in shock. Crying and
sobbing. So of course it hurts, and what I took from it was just don’t dishonor your
family. Not dishonor, you know, just don’t show it so people can look. That’s very big
within the Mexican culture, well at least within my family. You are very proud,
especially the men are super proud and I remember my Tia told me this one day, she said
I accept you, but just don’t shame your Dad and don’t shame your Grandpa because they
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are proud men. And you wouldn’t want anyone else to look at your Dad and say he has a
gay son. And I was like, I know Tia, I’m not like that, I’m not like that either way at
home and show it as much but still I want to be happy. Even though I might not be too
gay, whatever that means, too feminine I guess. I’m not feminine like that and she’s like
I know you aren’t but still keep that in mind with everything you do. I said I know. I
won’t post pictures anymore. So to this day I have never posted a picture of me and my
boyfriend or whatever. And I would feel uncomfortable posting a picture like that now
that I think about it. I don’t know why I did it, I would feel uncomfortable, I would feel
uncomfortable posting a picture of me and my boyfriend because of that. Shame my
grandpa and my Dad and my Mom too, she’s fucking told me that too. She’s said, most
of my family that lives here in LA know that I am. We don’t talk about it. They know I
am, they know of course I don’t really show it but still, my Mom told me one day that I
don’t want no one in Mexico find out about you. I was like alright, no one is going to
find out. But shaming has a lot to do with talking. You don’t want people talking behind
your back. You don’t want people talking about you and your family. I’m just there like,
ok I’m not going to say anything, but that has to do with shame. You don’t want people
talking about you. You don’t want people talking smack about your family or about your
parents. The men especially, because it is very important. So I don’t, when I talk to my
Dad and when I talk to his friends they don’t question me. Don’t dress feminine, I try not
to, and I feel that and this is really true, oh my god I am going to get emotional.
Here, in this example, Rodrigo shared his lesson of struggle that he personally had experienced
with his family and his sexuality. Rodrigo expressed “so of course it hurts, and what I took from
it was just don’t dishonor your family. Not dishonor, you know, just don’t show it so people can
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look.” In addition, he shared how is Tia spoke to him about his sexuality and provided her
acceptance of his choice of sexuality, stating, “I accept you.” However, she also advised him,
“don’t shame your Dad and don’t shame your Grandpa because they are proud men. And you
wouldn’t want anyone else to look at your Dad and say he has a gay son.” Rodrigo internalized
this lesson of struggle and had demonstrated the use of this struggle in his persistence in school.
Rodrigo shared that he is going to school to make his Dad feel “proud.”
Going to school definitely makes my Dad feel proud about myself, about me, you know?
It makes him feel proud that you know what my older son may have gone to the Marine’s
but at least my son is going to school. He’s going to be the first in the family and I’m
talking about the family, my cousins and everyone that is going to get a bachelor’s
degree, that’s going to UCLA, that’s going to a 4-year university. That makes me feel
good. So yeah, fuck it, I’m gay, but I am making my Dad feel proud, you know.
Here, Rodrigo demonstrated his perception on being gay and attending school for the purpose of
making his Dad proud. “So yeah, fuck it, I’m gay, but I am making my Dad feel proud, you
know.” In this particular example, environmental factors played an influential role in his
persistence and he used the lesson of struggle as a way to positively persist in school for the
purpose of pride in his family (orgullo), particularly his Dad.
Miguel
Miguel shared about his lesson of struggle with his identity as an undocumented, AB540 student.
He stated,
People who are undocumented, like me, especially students that are undocumented they
have to go through even more struggles because they have to find job or once they get
permission to work they have to have their family because if they are undocumented
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more likely their fathers are too, so that makes work even harder. So, for someone that
has to work multiple jobs or every time has to look for something better, more financial
income right away, they don’t have the time to wait for a degree and make money, they
have to get support and I think many people will see that as something bad, but I take it
as something that actually made me even stronger. I could make money right now, but if I
invest more of my time in my education I can make even more money, and become more
successful. That has made me not afraid of school and keep on going and even though
I’ve seen friends making a decent amount of money I stick myself into my dreams and
my career.
In this example, Miguel had internalized the lesson of struggle with his undocumented, AB540
status and demonstrated how he used this lesson to persist in school. He first acknowledged the
struggle with environmental factors that could influence persistence, being the financial necessity
to support his family. However, his perception was that “many people will see that as something
bad, but I take it as something that actually made me even stronger.” He continued to share that
“I could make money right now, but if I invest more of my time in my education I can make
even more money, and become more successful.” In addition, Miguel shared that within his
environment there were possible influences, however, “even though I’ve seen friends making a
decent amount of money I stick myself into my dreams and my career,” because he perceived
value in his educational endeavors and that with his persistence through school, he will increase
his financial return. “Being an AB540 student has helped my persistence I think mentally and
emotionally it has made me more stronger than the average student, a non AB540 student.”
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Additionally, Miguel highlighted another motivation for his persistence in relation to his status.
He shared that being an AB540 student and facing struggles with access to resources, that this
had motivated him to want a different life for his children and for others. He stated,
I see people that they have a full, legal permission and they have full resources and they
have their parents that they have everything they have and they don’t take advantage of it.
Seeing that and making ... Seeing that is making me work even harder and looking at my
future that I don’t want my children to face the same thing that I’m facing right now and
not only that but if I could prevent older people from facing this struggle or at least help
them right now improve or overcome the struggles is the thing that has made me also like
fitting in different types of groups and things.
In this example, Miguel shared that he is motivated to persist because he does not want his
children and older people to “face this struggle or at least help them right now improve or
overcome the struggles.” Miguel continued to share that this perception had also motivated him
to “fit in different types of groups and things.” This perception of “fitting in” stems from another
lesson of struggle that Miguel had shared,
I think for a certain time I was kind of lost because I was kind of lost in speaking on
culture and labeling myself and knowing who I am because people would say that I’m
Mexican but I won’t feel like a Mexican. I wasn’t able to live in an environment what a
typical Mexican would do or would have and I won’t be fully American or I wasn’t born
here or I don’t have citizenship as an American has. Those type of things also didn’t
strongly affect me but I would say hold me back and made me even work harder and try
to not only improve my education but also my vision and my goals. There’s a lot of
people that are facing the same thing I am so my goals have to be even bigger and I have
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to work harder not only for myself but for them too. Throughout the years I was able to
find myself and be able to understand who I am and where I come from and be able to
share and give feedback to other people that went through the same thing. They want to
become successful.
Here, in this example, Miguel shared his struggle with assimilation into the United States and
while he was being labeled “Mexican,” he did not feel as though he was living the “Mexican”
culture; “I was kind of lost.” He continued to share his perception of assimilation in that, “I
wasn’t able to live in an environment what a typical Mexican would do or would have and I
won’t be fully American or I wasn’t born here or I don’t have citizenship as an American has.”
However, instead of allowing his inability to assimilate and not feel “lost,” he instead used it as a
force for persistence. “Those type of things also didn’t strongly affect me but I would say hold
me back and made me even work harder and try to not only improve my education but also my
vision and my goals.” In addition, Miguel exhibited social competence in his acknowledgement
that he had embarked on this educational journey to obtain his vision and goals, not only for
himself, but for “people that are facing the same thing I am so my goals have to be even bigger
and I have to work harder not only for myself but for them too.” Miguel also identified that
through his lessons of struggle, he has grown and this had influenced his ability to help others;
“Throughout the years I was able to find myself and be able to understand who I am and where I
come from and be able to share and give feedback to other people that went through the same
thing.”
Miguel also shared his lesson of struggle on immigrating to the United States. He stated,
I came here because of the uncle that I told you about. He got bitten by a snake. He came
here and he was able to establish kind of a family. He was able to become a citizen and
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all that. My dad was back and forth, going back to Mexico and coming here. So, through
my uncle, through that uncle, he was able to ... I think they used some strange documents
in order to cross me because I was crossed illegally through the border, through a car. So,
I was driven over here. I remember the days before that. The next day they were buying
me clothes. I remember they bought me a pair of new shoes and I remember that they
used to tell me: “You have to remember this name; you have to remember all this info”.
So, that’s what I remember and besides that I remember I think I was falling asleep and
waking up in LA and seeing, because my dad came here and he stood here for I think a
year. So, I haven’t seen him for a year or two. I didn’t see him for that time. I remember
that when I saw him I didn’t recognize him at first. So, I remember that moment. I felt
kind of comfortable and I saw him and I think they have recordings when he went over
there and got me. He recorded it and that’s how I came over here. It was through my
uncle and his girlfriend. My Mom, she can’t come here. She was about to come here
during the same period I came but I don’t know, something happened and she’s still over
there. I came here when I was six so about 14 years, 13 years since I have seen her.
Here, in this example, Miguel provided a lesson of struggle in immigrating to the United States
and he shared the process he endured during that time. He also shared the struggle of being
undocumented, and because of the fact that he was undocumented, he was unable to travel to
Mexico to see his Mom and return to the United States. Therefore, it has been “14 years, 13
years since I have seen her.” Miguel spoke earlier about “looking at my future that I don’t want
my children to face the same thing that I’m facing right now and not only that but if I could
prevent older people from facing this struggle or at least help them right now improve or
overcome the struggles.” In that statement, he was focused on many of his own struggles,
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including those lessons that he learned from the experience of immigrating to the United States
and the sacrifices he has made.
Miguel shared a lesson of struggle where he debated about quitting school to focus on working
full-time. During this time, he sought the advice of his father during his struggle and he shared,
I was thinking of quitting school. So, I went and actually went and asked my dad, after a
long time that I hadn’t actually asked him about school and all that, I asked him what
should I do, should I quit school and just focus on working and he told me that ... He said
that it’s my future. You follow whatever you want to do. If you feel that going to school
is going to make you better, not only has the potential of giving you financial income but
you’re going to regret then do it, but if you need to work and you feel that that’s the right
thing and you feel that you won’t regret once you quit school, and you’re just working,
then do it.
Here, in this example Miguel was faced with a lesson of struggle, in whether or not he should
quit school and focus on working full-time, or if he should remain in school and persist for his
vision and goals. Miguel shared,
I think making me realize what I really want to do and it made me motivated and confirm
that I actually want to go to school and I know that if I dropped out of school last year I
would’ve regretted it. That was a big thing too.
This experience “motivated and confirmed” that Miguel’s desire was to attend school and he
acknowledged that had he dropped out to pursue working full-time that he “would’ve regretted
it.” In this example, Miguel demonstrated his ability to persist despite environmental influences
and that having his father as a support system during a time of struggle, to seek advice from, was
influential in his ability to persist.
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Emelia
Emelia shared her personal lesson of struggle at becoming a mother at seventeen-years-old and
balancing being a mother and a student. She stated,
My mom was in the same situation as I was and because we both got pregnant at an early
age. She was 14, I was 17. She says she didn’t do the right thing when she was in the
same situation. Like I decided to go for education and go to school, she had the same
opportunity that I did, but she just decided not to go. So I guess that’s the situation. So, I
guess now that she has had the opportunity to look at the situation that she would make a
different choice because she has a different perspective. I think that would have helped
her out a lot in life.
In this example, Emelia discussed how she and her Mom had similar backgrounds, and
acknowledged that both she and her mother had opportunities to get an education. “Like I
decided to go for education and go to school, she had the same opportunity that I did, but she just
decided not to go.” Emelia made the choice to attend school, despite environmental influences
and factors.
Emelia shared her perception on the personal and environmental factors that influenced
her becoming pregnant at seventeen-years-old. She stated,
I always said I’m not going to get pregnant when I’m young. “I’m not going to do the
same mistakes you did,” and then I did. I think it was a lot of factors into it. It wasn’t
only because I wanted to. It was just a lot of factors that brought me to that situation. I
just hate the fact that my mom also tells me, “I don’t understand why you got pregnant,”
and I feel like telling her, “Basically because of you.” My dad wasn’t there. He was the
one that I was closest to and I would talk to about my stuff while my mom was just
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talking on the phone or doing her stuff. When my dad left it was just like I didn’t have
that person anymore to talk to. My sister was in San Diego. I was always close to her too
but when she left I was just like, “I have no one.” When I would try to talk to her she
would be like, “Oh, I have to go to class,” “Oh, I have to do something,” so it was like I
never had time to talk to her. I have friends around, but I’m kind of the person that really
doesn’t tell you my stuff, but I’m telling you my stuff. I didn’t really tell anyone that I
was bring sexually active or whatever. I guess I got attached to him because I didn’t have
anyone else around me that actually heard me or I felt like I was close to and I could tell
my problems to. I guess I just got really attached to him. My mom never talked to me
about contraception’s. She would always just be like, “Don’t have sex, don’t have sex.”
Obviously you’re not going to listen to your mom. I guess it was just my mom never
talked to me about those stuff. She was always just pushing me off. It was just like,
“Where am I supposed to go to when I feel like I need to talk to someone?” It wasn’t her.
Then with him I felt like that. Then he was kind of always like ... Guys always want to be
sexually active so I guess when that happened I wasn’t aware of contraception and I
wasn’t aware of anything of that. I guess it was just a lot of factors that led me to that.
In this example, Emelia discussed how she felt that she lacked support during this time in her life
and,
My dad wasn’t there. He was the one that I was closest to and I would talk to about my
stuff while my mom was just talking on the phone or doing her stuff. When my dad left
it was just like I didn’t have that person anymore to talk to.
Emelia continued to share that she found a support system in her boyfriend. “I guess I got
attached to him because I didn’t have anyone else around me that actually heard me or I felt like
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I was close to and I could tell my problems to.” Emelia shared that her primary motivation to
persist in school was her mother and her daughter. She stated,
I think my mom and my daughter, because my mom also she’s always telling me like
“You can do it,” and just pushing me like “Just go, go to school, keep going.” I guess her
motivating me all the time has been really helpful. She’s always telling me “I know that
it’s hard, but you can do it.” Then she’s always telling me “Think about your daughter,
you’re going to be a better role model, you have more education, so you can help her
out.” I think thinking about my daughter and what my mom says has been very helpful.
In this example, Emelia had found motivation and the ability to persist in school through her
daughter and mother. Emelia acknowledged that she was persistence, and she correlated her
persistence with,
being persistent and coming to school. I just see a lot of people in my culture that really
aren’t doing much as they should be. They get discouraged and I think being persistent
and still coming to school and working hard to get good grades.
Emelia acknowledged that two of the environmental factors that have influenced her persistence
was her daughter and her mother. She has continued to demonstrate her persistence, her ability
to work hard and get good grades. She stated that “right now, I think all my classes are A’s, so
I’m trying to keep it that way all the way til finals.” In addition, Emelia also shared that she had
benefited from attending school because she was,
taking also a child development class. It’s creative with children. It’s pretty cool because
I always learn different things to do with Marietta, my daughter. It’s really cool to learn
all these different activities that can go home and take back and teach Belinda different
stuff, so it’s pretty cool.
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Being provided an opportunity to bring education back into her home for her daughter served as
a motivation for Emelia. She was using the knowledge she was gaining from college and had the
ability to immediately apply it to her daughter’s life. As she continued to attend college, Emelia
will continue to have more knowledge to use in her home, therefore, knowledge, having control
of herself and her environment, a representation of autonomy, served as a motivation in her
ability to persist.
Estevan
Estevan shared his own lesson of struggle and his perception on why he entered a gang at the age
of 15. He stated,
I don’t think I ever did, though. I think that’s the reason I ended up joining my gang, and
things like that, because I didn’t have a father figure, and I always had questions about
life, and about questions as guy; as a boy, but I always felt uncomfortable asking my
mom, or talking to my mom about it. I have a sister, and they have a connection, because
they were girls, but I always felt that I needed that connection with a male figure. When I
had questions about life, or about school; things that I would like to tell a guy, I wouldn’t
tell her. I would try to find that actually by myself. When I had questions about my gang,
my neighborhood, and things like that; and, I had questions. Before I got into my gang, I
had questions about it, but I didn’t know how to tell my mom about it, so I just joined it,
because, I’m going to have to find these answers by myself.
In this example, Estevan shared that he “felt uncomfortable asking my mom, or talking to my
mom about it. I have a sister, and they have a connection, because they were girls, but I always
felt that I needed that connection with a male figure.” In addition, Estevan shared that “I just
joined it, because I’m going to have to find these answers by myself.” This same perception of
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finding answering by himself, demonstrating autonomy and control of himself and his
environment, could also be observed in Estevan’s behavior on campus when he discussed “like,
ain’t nobody going to push me, nobody is going to be holding my hand to do my homework.
That’s something that I know I have to do.” Estevan was influenced by personal and
environmental factors to join the gang, however, the same perceptions he had to seek out
answers to his questions and the “figuring-things-out quality” was the same perception he had
maintained and applied in school to persist.
Estevan also shared his lesson of struggle, his pedagogy of survival, in his journey of
immigrating to the United States. He said,
Yeah, my mom came ... I came through a line. I came in a car, and my mom told me she
used to ... I was in Arizona waiting for my mom. I was staying with some white people; I
don’t know who they were, but they didn’t treat me good. Only one lady used to treat me
cool. The other ones; they hated me. When I came, I was six. I remember us in that
house, but I didn’t want to be there, because I didn’t like those people. I think they used
to view me differently, because I was Mexican, but one of the ladies, she was cool as
fuck. She would give me all kinds of; because back in that time, McDonald’s used to give
out some different toys, like some fake fries, some hot wheel cars, and an ice cream cone:
the original toys they used to give back in the day, not the new ones they give now. I
remember that she always used to give me those to make me feel good, and I would wait
for my mom. She would cross, but she would get sent back. She did it so many times. She
would cross the border, and they would catch her, and send her back. She did it until she
finally made it. When she made it, I was happy, because then they moved me out of that
house, and I came to L.A. from Arizona. I was in the house about three months.
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In this example, Estevan discussed his journey to the United States and how he “was in Arizona
waiting for my mom.” He shared that during what he believed to be a “three months” period, he
stayed with some “white people, I don’t know who they were.” The time spent from his mother
was a struggle, and he did not feel comfortable in his situation, however, his Mom was having
difficulty crossing the border. “She would cross, but she would get sent back. She did it so many
times. She would cross the border, and they would catch her, and send her back. She did it until
she finally made it.” Then Estevan discussed his lesson of struggle assimilating to the English
language in the United States. He shared how he struggled because his family was
undocumented, and his mother being unable to assist him with the assimilation to the language.
He stated,
I think it’s the effect of being poor, undocumented; my mom, not being able to do
anything for me while I’m in elementary, and I need help in homework, but I don’t even
know fucking English. Then, getting bad grades, because I don’t know English, and the
teacher not being understanding. I think a bad experience of when my teacher used to
make me stand in the corner, holding textbooks, because I didn’t do my homework, and I
think it was bad, because I would feel embarrassed; not only because I’m standing there,
but because I don’t know English, and everybody looks at me, like, “Look at him.” Those
were my bad experiences in Elementary; were my teachers. Sonja was her name. I don’t
like it, because I didn’t know how to read until I was like, fuck, in 8th grade; almost in
jail, and I was in jail, kind of. I didn’t learn how to read at all. I was embarrassed. They’d
do popcorn, you know, the popcorn thing? They’d pick me, and I’d be like, “Fuck, I
don’t know how to read.” Even I was in 7th grade, I would see people already know how
to read at 6th grade, and I’m in 7th grade, and I don’t even know how to read. I feel bad,
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like, “Damn, I’m dumb.” All these kids are here reading, and I’m over here shrugging: “I
don’t even know how to read in English.” I think that was a bad experience, because I
didn’t learn how to read until I actually went to high school; a charter school, but I only
went for one year, and then I got locked up. Then, I actually started learning how to read
more in jail when I started reading my own books. I think most of my wisdom; most of
the knowledge that I have, I gained it all through jail through my personal experience;
through reading books, and through being able to read books that made me think about
life differently. At the same time, I’m already thinking about life differently, because I’m
locked up, and not only that, I’m in my cell, and I’m thinking about myself, and about
why I’m in jail, and about why I need to get out, and about why the fuck am I even in the
United States for. It made me think about this deeply that, when I read these books,
they’re perfect. It’s like perfect timing. I’m reading the perfect book at the perfect time,
and I’m here at the perfect moment. I’m finding myself; identifying what I like, and what
I want to do. I think that was my education; jail.
In this example, Estevan shared a lesson of struggle that began with his immigration to the
United States, then upon arrival it continued to be a lesson of personal struggle in assimilation,
and how he continued to struggle with this lesson through the time he was incarcerated. Estevan
acknowledged that during his time of incarceration, his perception began to change and he
shared, “I think most of my wisdom; most of the knowledge that I have, I gained it all through
jail through my personal experience; through reading books, and through being able to read
books that made me think about life differently.” In addition, Estevan shared that he used the
time while he was incarcerated to think about “myself, and about why I’m in jail, and about why
I need to get out, and about why the fuck am I even in the United States for.” His perception in
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this moment can be correlated to the sacrifices that he spoke of earlier in regard to his lesson of
struggle immigrating to the United States. One of the lessons learned from his struggles that
Estevan had demonstrated was his ability to take the initiative on himself to make change, to get
things done, and to be successful. Estevan demonstrated this in jail, by reading books and
expanding his knowledge, even when he was unable to attend because “college wasn’t offered to
undocumented students.” Estevan demonstrated this in school when he entered with the
perception that to get things done, he had to do them himself. This perception and his ability to
be autonomous and have personal control of himself, and independence, was one of the
influential factors in his persistence that had stemmed from lessons of struggle.
In addition, Estevan perceived that his time incarcerated was not a waste. He stated,
Because I got locked up, I was safe from that, and I came out even better; with a better
support system, and I’m doing good. She believes that it was bad, but at the same time, it
was a good outcome. All that waiting; all the patience that we were waiting for me to
come home, it finally turned into something that I didn’t even expect. I didn’t expect to
be working at the chamber. I didn’t expect to go inside the White House, or Washington,
or D.C., or do all these things that I’ve done. I’d have never expected this shit. I never
saw myself, but now I’m there. Go to school. I followed it. I’m going to school, but they
always tell me- my mom always tells me- to never forget where I come from, to always
stay positive, and to never be a follower; sometimes you have to stick to yourself. While
being incarcerated, my mom used to tell me to stick to myself; just ignore everything. I
know it sucks, but just ride it out. Just ride it out. You’re going to come home eventually,
and I used to listen to that. You know what, I am going to ride it out.
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In this example, Estevan demonstrated his resilience throughout his experiences and lessons of
struggle and how he has taken a lesson of struggle and become successful due to “riding it out,”
and “patience.” He shared,
Me as a person who just got released out of jail, starting an internship at a place, first of
all I have never had a job like this before in my life. Never worked at McDonald’s
nothing, I got lucky that I landed a job in a place that I don’t have to mop, sweep, or
nothing like that. Which is something that you will see people like me doing, but
fortunately I was lucky enough to meet a person, like all the time I always meet people
and through that people, I don’t know and I learned a lot and I found my passion for
work. I’ve been working on policy for criminal law so I know how policy works. I love
public policy.
Here, Estevan expressed his love of public policy and how he had been afforded several
opportunities to work on criminal law. Estevan shared his perception on education and how
because he found his passion that this also aided in his persistence to continue in his educational
journey. He stated,
Education, the more you learn, the more you get older, the more you create wisdom, the
more you understand these and the more you see the world differently and it makes you
confident about what you want to do with yourself. And that’s what’s going on with me.
The more I keep going to school and living in the world and getting wisdom and
knowledge every day I think that’s what helps me. My success is always going to
overpower my five years of incarceration.
Estevan was confident about what he wants to do with himself; “I love public policy.” Estevan
was able to find his “passion” through his lessons of struggle and he continued to persevere and
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searched “for the answers,” whether it was through reading books in jail to increase his
knowledge base, to seeking out resources on campus, or completing homework assignments, to
finding success at work. Estevan had and continued to demonstrate his ability to be persistent
and find motivation through various avenues of education; attending college and educating
others about public policy and he is confident, particularly in his statement, “my success is
always going to overpower my five years of incarceration.” This statement was demonstrative of
his autonomy, his independence, and his personal control.
Gabriela
Gabriela shared her lesson of struggle in assimilating to the English language upon
immigrating to the United States. She stated,
I had just turned nine. I didn’t actually come into the ESOL program until I got to middle
school because elementary didn’t have an ESOL program back then. My elementary at
least didn’t. I wasn’t given that kind of ... They didn’t really have after school programs
for bilingual classes. I was never introduced to an ESOL class until I came to middle
school, that’s when I took ESL and I only took it for two years in sixth and seventh grade.
When I started eighth grade, I was taking just regular English. I came here and I finished
fourth grade because I came half way through that semester of fourth grade or the scholar
year of fourth grade. I was in fourth grade in Mexico, half way, so I finished the other
half of my year here. Just focused on basic alphabetical letters, numbers, just basic things.
I did feel a little marginalized back then because I was given a seat all the way behind, far
away everybody else, so it was kind of awkward now that I think about it, and that was
because I wasn’t able to contribute to the class, so I was never really part of any class
activities. I would go with them to field trips, but I wasn’t part of it. I feel like I didn’t
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receive a lot of boo from my classmates or students that were in that same room with me
because I was left all the way behind in a separate little corner. I wasn’t too like ...
Pronunciation of words, maybe it wasn’t the best way of conducting that situation, but it
was what it was for me, so I wasn’t able to pretty much make life to it because that’s all I
was given. My fifth grade year was a little different. I was able to contribute a little
more, but I wasn’t understanding anything because I didn’t have any fundamentals of it. I
wasn’t in a different program or a special program for second language students. It was a
little hard, but in middle school I did find myself with other kids that were coming from
other places and learning the language so it was a little better, got better. Ultimately, it
just ended up getting better as I moved through high school and in college.
In this example, Gabriela shared her struggle with assimilation to the English language and how
she perceived a lack of resources available to her during this time, contributed greatly to her
struggle. However, Gabriela continued to discuss how she found “motivation” in her persistence
and struggle. She discussed,
My mom’s words like, “Yes, you can do it” and just flashbacks of remembering that I can
just achieve so many things so when it’s for example, sometimes like I said a while ago, I
felt really bad about, I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but I’m going to mention it now. My
first statistics exam that I took, I failed it and I was very upset because I studied for it,
and I just blanked out. I felt very, very sad and I felt like I had done my best and I failed,
completely failed. At that moment I cried and I felt like, “Oh, you’re not smart. You’re
not fancy, what are you going to expect? Why should I even care to go farther more? I
should give up, maybe school’s not meant for me. Just thinking that I was not smart.
Then when I think about my experience and just the challenge that I’ve experienced just
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to learn a second language, just graduating high school, graduating middle school, I was
like, I’ve done a lot. I’m doing something good, I shouldn’t feel this way. That motivates
me, that gives me strength of Yes, I can do it. I’m smart. Maybe I just have to find ways
of studying, maybe this way is not working out for me and I’m going to try something
else.
Here, in this example, Gabriela shared how being able to “learn a second language, just
graduating high school, graduating middle school, I was like, I’ve done a lot. I’m doing
something good.” Through her struggle, she found motivation to persist, and said, “that
motivates me, that gives me strength of yes I can do it.” Her lessons of struggle she has endured
in the past, motivated her to believe she could do it because she was able to overcome those
barriers and obstacles through her struggles. Her ability to be successful in these experiences,
and the environmental and personal factors were what had contributed to her persistence in
school today. In addition, she shared, “maybe I just have to find ways of studying, maybe this
way is not working out for me and I’m going to try something else.” This perception of
persistence was demonstrative of her ability to problem solve and continue persisting until she is
successful. Gabriela shared an additional example of her problem solving abilities. She stated,
When I was smaller I used to collect cans because I used to like putting puzzles together.
I would go to the 99 cents store after selling the cans and I would buy myself my puzzles
so I would play with it and transform them. They always identify my attitudes and the
way I sift for things like my grandma. They say I have that.
This example stems from a perception on behalf of her Dad in that he acknowledged the
resemblance of Gabriela’s problem solving abilities, to that of her abuelita’s. “She’s always
making ways of making money. I told them I was selling my books, my dad was like, you’re
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just like your grandma, always looking out for ways of making money. I was just trying to get
money back.” Despite obstacles, Gabriela had persisted in her ability to overcome obstacles and
barriers to obtain her goals. She needed money for college, she sold her textbooks; she needed
money for a puzzle she desired, she collected cans.
Gabriela shared that she was motivated by her family. “They’re expecting from me something
big. I think family, it’s my fundamental support and motivation.” She continued to share that her
parents have “always applied the goal of education. That’s the most important thing.” Gabriela
also referenced honoring her family because they have come from a different place. “Also
because you know they come from a different place and that it would be for us to become
someone in life, it would be like honoring their roots, their family, their ancestors, just
everybody else in their family.” She continued to discuss how influential her parents have been
in her motivation and how “they have influenced me through their experiences and through my
personal experience and just the fact that I want to make them proud. I want to make them feel
proud of who I will become in this country.” Her desire to “make them feel proud” was another
environmental and personal factor that was influential in her ability to persist. She
acknowledged her influence had derived from “their experiences and through my personal
experience.” She also shared another lesson of struggle, and that she has been influenced by this
lesson of struggle. She stated,
Growing up in Mexico, we were very, very poor. That was one of the reasons why we
came to the United States. My dad came way long, well before us practically. We came
after, maybe seven years after he was here. I’m pretty sure that he was already living in
here, right? Growing up in a place, in a small little village, where we had to walk about
an hour to get to school and we didn’t have all the good resources that other schools in
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Mexico had. This was a public school, a very poor elementary school. Having that
experience and coming into a community where you’re given a lot more than you were
given in your own country, it makes you really appreciate that. For me, coming in to an
elementary that I was able to take a bus to school, having a bus pick me up and drop me
off, it was amazing. I was able to appreciate everything else, like our breaks, where we
were provided free lunch. That was something that we were never given in Mexico, like
in our elementary schools. I don’t think Mexico even does that, maybe just private
schools do that, but other than that, public schools don’t provide students with that
resource. It was something different, and I was able to experience both sides, and I was
able to appreciate. That’s what influenced me in my educational views.
Here, in this example, Gabriela had identified “what influenced me in my educational views.”
She acknowledged that her ability to have two varying experiences, on opposite sides of the
spectrum have been influential in her perception. “Growing up in a place, in a small little
village, where we had to walk about an hour to get to school and we didn’t have all the good
resources that other schools in Mexico had.” She then provided her experience in the United
States,
for me, coming in to an elementary that I was able to take a bus to school, having a bus
pick me up and drop me off, it was amazing. I was able to appreciate everything else, like
our breaks, where we were provided free lunch.
In addition, she stated, “It was something different, and I was able to experience both sides, and I
was able to appreciate.” The lesson of struggle, from her experience in Mexico, provided her
with the ability, in her perception, to appreciate the resources available to her in the United
States. This experience was influential in her ability to appreciate her opportunities, thus
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influential in her ability to persist because of the opportunities. One example of this was her
ability to take advantage of DACA; “here with the work permit now thanks to DACA,” and
appreciate that resource.
Conclusion
There were five findings that emerged from interviews of second-year Latino
community college students in relation to what they perceived contributed to their ability to
persist. The first finding to emerge was that students’ relationships with faculty and staff played
a significant role in their ability to persist. The students shared that the most influential
relationships they formed with community college personnel were those with faculty and
counselors. Students identified experiences where faculty members engaged them inside and
outside of the classroom and the significance of these engagements in their persistence.
The second finding to come out of the interviews was that students’ relationships with
similarly situated peers helped them to connect to school and overcome challenges they faced.
connections to. The students identified that they engaged with other students for the purpose of
similar ethnic background. They participated in activities for the sole purpose of connecting
with peers, despite ethnic background. They shared a connection to peers who faced similar
family dynamics to help them negotiate these competing messages from families and students
engaged with peers who shared commonalities in goals.
The third finding was that these six second-year Latino community college students
formed outside of school relationships that supported their persistence. Students focused on their
accessibility to a mentor and the significance of this relationship. The students identified
individuals outside of the context of school that were influential in their persistence.
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Students focused on the use of outside resources within the community and how these
resources played a significant role in their persistence. An example of an outside resource would
be access to childcare, that enabled the student to continue her educational goals. The fourth
finding, that students’ ability to solve problems contributed to their persistence, produced two
themes.
Students advocated for themselves inside of the classroom, after class, and during office
hours. They did this by disassociating themselves from students who they believed would
undermine their ability to focus on their work in class, asking their professors questions during
and after class, seeking their professors out during office hours, and identifying peers who they
could count on to help them when they had questions.
Students solved problems associated with navigating life as a college student by taking
advantage of resources inside of the school. The most important resources all six students
accessed were the SCE and SoCal Student programs. In addition, the students accessed the
college’s library as a place to study, find motivation, and avoid distractions that would impede
their ability to get their work done.
The fifth and final finding that emerged related to lessons of struggle and pedagogies of
survival that students identified as being influential in their ability to persist. These lessons of
struggle were influenced by personal and familial experiences and were relayed in the context of
pedagogies of survival or stories of survival (Campa, 2013). The pedagogies of survival were
internalized on behalf of the student in forms of orgullo (pride), sabiduria (wisdom) and
consejos (advice) and contribute to critical resilience leading to persistence (Campa, 2013).
There were three themes that emerged from the analysis.
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First, students discussed lessons of struggle experienced by the family that they
internalized in forms of critical resilience. Commonalities in financial struggles and immigration
emerged in this theme. Second, students focused on lessons of struggle they experienced due to
socio-cultural conflict and dual messages. Students identified that within these dual messages
they felt as though their family lacked the knowledge to navigate specific college experiences,
thus making them feel alone. Students identified other ways their family provided support, aside
from navigating the college experience.
And third, students focused on lessons of struggle experienced by themselves, and
internalized the struggle in forms of critical resilience. Similarities among the students’ lessons
of struggle were identity and assimilation to the culture.
Overall, the second-year Latino community college students identified their ability to
solve problems, relationships with faculty and staff, relationships with similarly situated peers,
experiences outside of the classroom, and experienced lessons of struggle and pedagogies of
survival that they internalized as forms of critical resilience and expressed in behaviors and
actions, as the factors that contributed to their ability to persist. They provided and demonstrated
examples from a multi-faceted approach of how these experiences were influential to their
success. While there were variations in the students’ perceptions, the findings confirmed that in
general, second-year Latino community college students had similar experiences. The analysis
highlighted the variations from social, cultural, academic, and internal approaches that offered
insight into what influenced these students to persist from their own perceptions. In addition, the
students acknowledged internalizations of lessons of struggle and pedagogies of survival that
they internalized in forms of critical resilience. This portion of the analysis offered insight into
significant influential role that culture plays in their ability to persist. Although general themes
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emerged, identifying commonalities among the students who participated in the study, each
student provided their own perception on the social, cultural, academic, and internal experiences
that influenced their ability to persist.

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CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION
This study focused on the experiences of second-year Latino community college students.
In particular, the study examined students’ perceptions of the experiences that contributed to
their ability to persist. The concept of persistence was used as a way to understand the student
experiences within the community college and students’ decisions to continue to be part of the
college environment to their second-year. While we know much about student persistence in the
community college context, particularly student persistence of first-year community college
students, little is known about second-year Latino student experiences in the community college
setting. In addition, even less is known about students’ perceptions of what contributes to their
ability to persist.
Latinos who pursue a college education have a greater likelihood of attending a
community college than any other group (Crisp & Nora, 2010; Fry, 2002; Kurleander, 2006). Of
the Latino students who attend college upon completion of high school, 46% enroll in
community colleges (National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES], 2008). The number of
Latino students who enroll continues to increase, however, the number of those who obtain
degrees has seen relatively little change. One of the most significant challenges that community
colleges face is retaining Latino students. Community colleges serve over 57% of the Latino
students (IPED, 2014). Of the first-time, full-time students who started at a community college
in 2010, only 19.5% of them earned a certificate or a degree within 3 years (NCES, 2014).
Longevity and retention are additional identified challenges, with only 11.7% of Latino students
attaining an associate’s degree, after attending a community college for 6 years (Radfored,
Berkner, Wheeless, & Shepard, 2010).
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The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of second-year
Latino community college students at SoCal Community College, where the students attended a
campus that is considered a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and approximately 77.3% of its
degree or certificate seeking students are of Hispanic/Latino background (CCD, 2014).
Specifically, the following research question guided this study:
What experiences do second-year Latino community college students believe contribute
to their ability to persist?
To understand the perceptions of the second-year Latino community college students, this
study utilized a qualitative research design. I gathered data by conducting interviews with six
second-year Latino community college students to understand what these students perceived to
have contributed to their ability to persist from their first to second year of college. In general, I
found that the experiences of second-year Latino student were consistent with a vast amount of
the persistence literature (Astin; 1984; Kuh et al., 2008; Metz, 2004; Pascarella & Terenzini,
1980; Spady, 1970; Tinto, 2012, 1993, 1975), particularly in the persistence literature that
focused within the community college context (Deil-Amen, 2011; Fike & Fike, 2008; Hawley &
Harris, 2005). The findings from this study were also consistent with literature on the
persistence of Latino community college students (Arbona & Nora, 2007; Bordes-Edgar et al.,
2011; Crisp & Nora, 2010; Otero et al., 2007; Zell, 2010). Data analysis revealed that while
there were commonalities in overall themes that represented their experiences and the students’
perceptions, each student’s experience was unique and they were each affected in different ways
by their experiences. More specifically, five findings emerged from the data.
The students’ own problem-solving efforts supported their ability to persist. The students
shared the use of problem-solving efforts inside of the classroom to overcome obstacles that they
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perceived to impede their success. In addition, they advocated for themselves when they
believed they needed in order to access academic resources and students took advantage of the
resources they could access in college. The findings demonstrated second-year Latino
community college students’ ability to use problem-solving skills to find alternatives to navigate
cognitive and social problems.
Students perceived relationships with faculty and staff to play a significant role in their
success and ability to persist. Second-year Latino community college students shared positive,
influential engagements with faculty and staff that occurred inside and outside of the classroom
and the significance these relationships had on their ability to persist. In addition, students
discussed how the interactions made them believe the faculty and staff members cared about
them and their success in school and transferring.
Consistent with the literature (Deil-Amen, 2011), students also believed that their
connections with similarly situated peers played a significant role in their ability to persist. The
students provided ways that their relationships with other Latino students at their school played a
role in their connection to the school and feeling as though they were part of the school and their
ability to overcome hardships that they faced outside of school. The students detailed their
participation in activities, including those activities involving peers of other ethnicities or races
than their own, in order to connect with their peers. In addition, students connected with peers
who faced similar family dynamics and used these connections to help them navigate the
complex messages they receive from their environment. The students also shared connections
with students who shared the same goals. Similar goals identified were transfer goals,
commitment to school, and academic success, particularly in relation to a high GPA.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 221

The second-year Latino community college students who participated in this study
reported having access to outside resources and expressed the significance of these resources in
their ability to persist. Those outside resources included childcare arrangements and mentorship
for the purpose of accessibility to social capital.
In general, the students all provided detailed accounts of struggle in their experiences.
The students developed forms of critical resilience as a result of internalizing these experiences,
lessons of struggle, or pedagogies of survival that had either been family experiences that they
had shared, or had been experienced personally. The internalizations shared were in forms of
orgullo (pride), sabiduria (wisdom) and consejos (advice) and contributed to the students’
critical resilience, contributing to their ability to persist. In addition, the students shared that they
experienced cultural conflict as a result of the dual messages they received in their home
environments. While their families were supportive in some contacts, the students shared they
felt alone in navigating the processes of college and the overall experience. The students
provided detailed examples where their families had limited knowledge about college, the
processes and inability to assist with specifics, such as attainment of their educational goals,
however, the students did share that their families were supportive in other forms.
Second-year Latino community colleges students’ ability to solve problems, supportive
relationships with faculty and staff, relationships with similarly situated peers, experiences
outside of the classroom, and experiences of lessons of struggle and pedagogies of survival that
they internalized as forms of critical resilience and expressed in behaviors and actions, all
contributed to their ability to persist. While the students shared variations in their perceptions,
they shared similar experiences. The findings highlighted those variations from a multi-faceted
approach to include social, cultural, academic, and internal approaches, thus offering insight
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 222

from the students’ own perceptions. In addition, the findings revealed the influential role that
culture played in their ability to persist through the personal stories shared by the students on
lessons of struggle and pedagogies of survival, that they internalized in forms of critical
resilience, that influenced their ability to persist.
Implications and Recommendations
This qualitative study documented six second-year Latino community college students’
beliefs about what contributed to their persistence. These conversations provided support for
those experiences that the students perceived as influential in their ability to persist. This study
also demonstrates that each student drew on his or her unique experience in order to persist.
Within these unique experiences also emerged important commonalities that we can learn from
in order to foster the persistence of other Latino students. The information that can be derived
from their experiences can serve as a resource to inform practitioners, policymakers, and
researchers who strive to increase the persistence and retention rates of Latino community
college students.
Implications and Recommendations for Practice and Policy
The six students in this study identified a consistent set of skills and resources that they
believed contributed to their ability to persist. All six had the ability to solve problems they
confronted. Although they did not all confront the same problems, each was able to identify
appropriate solutions to the problems they did confront. Students who knew they could repeat the
mistakes they made in high school chose to make different choices by not affiliating with peers
they believed would make it harder for them to be successful inside of the classroom. Other
students realized they needed to advocate for themselves in relation to getting their academic
needs met. The students shared that despite having access to resources, they still believed they
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 223

needed to do things on their own to meet their needs. The implication of this is that students who
have strong problem solving skills and are able to advocate for themselves are more likely to
persist. Thus, the recommendation for practice is to develop and foster opportunities on campus,
inside and outside of the classroom that promote problem solving skills such as during student
orientations, student club activities, and application and practice of these skills during classroom
activities.
The students detailed ways they accessed and took advantage of resources through
school. All six students were participants in the SCE program and all six pointed to the program
as a linchpin in their connection and commitment to school. Several of the students stated that
the program was voluntary and that they were fortunate enough to have stumbled into the
program or into someone who recommended they apply for the program. This finding is
consistent with Tinto’s (2012) assertion that the actions of the institution can either promote or
impede students’ success, resulting in disconnected and uncoordinated plans of action to combat
the issues of student persistence. While these students were lucky enough to enter the program,
other similarly situated students less fortunate were likely to not know about the program or
benefit from its existence. Thus, the recommendation for practice is that programs such as SCE
be mandatory for first-year students. Several of the students attributed the guidance and support
provided by the SCE program to be vital in their ability to persist and by affording this
opportunity for all students, institutions could benefit from an increase in retention, success and
persistence of students from first-year to second-year.
All six students described important experiences with faculty, staff, and peers inside of
the college that played important roles in their persistence. Consistent with Tinto’s theory of
integration (1975, 1993), I found that these six students: 1) found interactions inside of the
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 224

classroom between themselves and their professors mattered, 2) were all set on being
academically successful and they sought out the support systems they needed rather than
assuming that their needs would take care of themselves, 3) were intent on identifying peers who
shared their goals, 4) responded to the expectations set by individuals within the institution and
those expectations were internalized by the students, and 6) believed that they belonged at this
community college because of its large Latino population and Latino culture. The implications
of these findings are that engagements inside and outside of the classroom between faculty and
staff and students play a vital role in the student’s ability to persist. Furthermore, student’s
involvement in the classroom, on campus, with peers, in programs, and in student organizations
plays an influential role in their persistence. Therefore, I recommend for practice and policy that
community colleges working with second-year Latino community college students should
promote positive interactions between faculty, staff, peers, and students. These positive
interactions, consistent with the literature, play an influential role in persistence. Examples of
these positive interactions for faculty and students include feedback and support, setting high
expectations, and incorporating background variables, such as cultural considerations inside of
the classroom to promote academic and social integration. Examples for staff include guidance
with college processes and taking the time to engage the student about their educational or career
goals. In addition, I recommend that all first-year students be involved in programs that promote
persistence and foster social and academic integration. Examples include providing activities or
programs for students to engage academically and social, but not limited to student organizations
and club involvement, where participation for some students may not be possible.
All six of the students shared lessons of struggle and pedagogies of survival that were
either shared by their families or experienced by themselves. These experiences were
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 225

internalized in forms of critical resilience, thus playing an influential role in their persistence.
The implications for this finding are the detailed connections that the students provided from
these experiences to their behaviors and actions that they demonstrated in their ability to persist.
Students shared the application of forms of critical resilience, dichos, consejos, sabidurias, and
orgullo to solve problems in the context of school, once again demonstrating how they draw
from culture and experiences and acknowledge a sense of purpose and the influence in their
persistence. I recommend that institutions, faculty, staff, and peers engage and interact with
students and incorporate their lives, their struggles, their experiences at every level in their
educational journeys. By focusing on the significance of culture in the lives of the Latino
community college students and implementing aspects into the context of the community
college, institutions can use the student’s experiences as a driving force in persistence. In
addition, the students shared conflict that arose from dual-messages from their families that were
being provided in their home environments. The students attributed these conflicts to a lack of
knowledge about the commitment, processes and navigation in the context of college, as well as
a lack of understanding about the significance of the educational goals of the students. The
implications from these findings are that the students expressed these conflicts as a form of
struggle and felt as though they were navigating the college experience alone. Consistent with
research, a connectedness and support within the educational journey, particularly support from
the environment, plays a vital role in the student’s ability to persist. The environment plays a
very influential role in the student’s persistence and research has revealed that a student can
persist despite educational support, if environmental support is in place. However, if
environmental support is lacking, and educational support is lacking, the student is at risk for low
rates of retention, persistence and success. I recommend that institutions develop and implement
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 226

institutional offerings to families of Latino community college students. These programs could
serve as a way to bridge the lack of knowledge and commitment surrounding these student’s
educational endeavors and navigation of the college experience, and reduce or alleviate further
cultural conflict and dual messages that the students shared they continue to encounter among
their family dynamics.
Implications and Recommendations for Research
Data from the study revealed the varying perceptions on the social, cultural, academic,
and internal experiences that influenced the second-year Latino community college students to
persist. Research was needed to provide a more extensive understanding of the experiences of
Latino students and what they believed enabled them to persist. This meant that research was
need to identify where institutions should focus their efforts in relation to those identified
influential experiences and how to best support the students in their persistence. Further research
is needed to gain a broader understanding of the impact of the social, cultural, academic, and
internal experiences for those students who were not involved in the SCC/SCE and SoCal
Student Programs.
Based on the data, all of the students shared the significance of engagement by a faculty
or staff member to influence their persistence. The students provided examples of engagement
that they perceived to be influential. The data also revealed that despite ethnic and cultural
variances between the faculty and staff and the student, they were influential. It is important to
note that the students did perceive a sense of connectedness to faculty members who shared their
stories, their lessons of struggle and if some alignment existed between the faculty and staff and
the student, this was perceived as beneficial for the engagement. This meant that the students
sought out or perceived to be influenced by faculty and staff members due to their perceived
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 227

welcoming nature for engagement, their ability to relate through struggle and the result of the
interaction enabled the students to perceive that the faculty or staff member “cared” for them and
their future. This also meant that the faculty and staff could have used their stories as a vehicle
for the engagement process and as the data revealed, the students perceived connected through
struggle. This dissertation recommends additional research on ways to implement and foster
transparency in engagement with students on behalf of faculty and staff. The research should
also focus on providing additional evidence on the significance of the engagement based on
struggle, transparency and perceived transparency, and the influence such engagements have in
the student’s involvement, their academic success and their persistence.
Furthermore, I recommend additional research on the connection between the
internalizations of the students, the students perceived sense of purpose and motivation and
persistence. A sense of purpose is a combination of one’s place in the world and that life has
meaning, as related to goal direction, optimism, sense of meaning and creativity. Based on the
data, the students, deriving from their lessons of struggle and pedagogies of survival shared a
sense of purpose to be persistent and successful because of all they or their families had endured.
Conclusion
This study provided qualitative data that documented the second-year Latino community
college student’s perceptions of the social, cultural, academic, and internal experiences that they
believed influenced their ability to persist. Analysis of the data provided implications and
recommendations for practice, research and policy. Based on the findings that emerged from this
study, these implications and recommendations for practice, research and policy could support
second-year Latino community college students in their ability to be retained during degree
attainment, persistence, success and achievement.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 228

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Appendix A: Individual Interview Protocol - First

Interview
Name: _______________________________________ Age/DOB: ____________________
Gender: __________ Number of Year(s) in School: ________ Number of Units: _____________
Title: _________________________________________________________________________
Time Began: ____________ Time Completed: ________________ Total Time: ____________
Researcher: ____________________________________________________________________

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview. This interview serves as an opportunity
for you to discuss your life experiences, perceptions, and personal factors that impact Latino
student persistence from first-year to second-year. Persistence means your likelihood of
returning after your first-year. Any identifiable information obtained in connection with this
study will remain confidential. Your responses will be directly labeled with your personal
identifying information. I want to remind you that this interview will be taped so I may
transcribe it later for accuracy. Please share any information you feel comfortable in sharing. If
at any time you do not feel comfortable sharing information or would like to end the interview,
please let me know.

Are you ready to begin?

Background:
1. What is your ethnicity?
a. Probe: Would you say you are Mexican, Chicano, Nicaraguan, Hispanic,
Latino, El Salvadorian, etc.?
b. If someone were to ask you what culture you identify with, what would you
say?
2. Describe your living situation.
a. Probe: Do you live at home?
b. Probe: If not, where do you live?
3. Tell me about your family
a. Probe: Who do you think of as the members of your family?
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 239

b. Probe: Do they all live here? Los Angeles, California, the United States, or
elsewhere?
4. What if anything does your family expect you to contribute to the family? For
example, are you expected to pay bills, take care of family members, etc.
5. How do you pay for school?
6. Describe your current work situation.

Academic:
1. Why did you choose to come to East Los Angeles College?
a. Probe: How did you learn about the school?
2. When did you know you were going to attend East Los Angeles College?
a. Probe: Did you know before you graduated High School?
b. Probe: Did you know after you graduated High School?
c. Probe: When did you choose it?

I want to talk a little bit about your experiences during your first year here.
3. In what ways, if at all, did high school prepare you for the non-academic aspects of
community college?
a. Probe: For example, you do not have a set schedule, you choose your classes,
you have a lot of freedom.
4. Do you think (or believe) you had the basic knowledge and skills you needed in order
to do well here academically? Would you talk about that for me?
5. What from your high school experience do you use in your approach to school? For
example, did you learn to take notes in high school? Do you take notes in your classes
here?
a. Probe: Are there other strategies that you use that you learned in high school?
b. Probe: Are there other strategies that you didn’t learn in high school that you
now use and where did these come from?
6. How do you do in school now? What kinds of grades are you getting?
7. What would you say was your biggest challenge you faced in your first year?
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 240

a. Probe: A specific experience. What? Why? What did that mean? Who was
involved?
8. What was the best experience or most positive experience you had in your first year?
a. Probe: I want the particular experience. What? Why? What did that mean?
Who was involved?
9. Were there particular people in your first year who were important to you? What
made them important for you? Tell me about a particular experience.
10. Are there particular people at school: faculty, staff? What made them important? Tell
me about a particular experience that really represents your relationship with these
people?
11. Were they important for a good reason? Or were they important for a bad reason?

Now I want to talk about how you have used the resources on campus. Then I want to talk about
your second year of college and your goals after college.
12. What resources are you aware of on campus?
a. Probe: For example, DSPS, EOPS, Financial Aid.
b. Probe: Have you used them? Taken advantage of them? What ways have you
used these services? Have you found them to be helpful?
c. Probe: Are there some resources you use more than others?

Now I want to focus on specifically your experiences in class.
13. What do you like most about your classes?
a. Probe: What is it about that in particular that makes it a positive experience
for you? Think about a recent experience in a particular class where you had
this experience and tell me about it.
i. Probe: What was the role of your teacher?
ii. Probe: How often do you think you have the good experiences?
14. What do you like least about your classes?
a. Probe: What is it about that in particular that makes it a positive experience
for you? Think about a recent experience in a particular class where you had
this experience and tell me about it.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 241

b. Probe: What was the role of your teacher?
c. Probe: How often do you think you have the bad experiences?
1. Probe: How many classes? Given that you think you have had
more negative experiences than positive in the classroom why
do you continue to take classes here?
15. Is there anyone else in your life that has been particularly helpful while you are in
school?
a. Probe: Tell me about them. How were they particularly helpful? Think about
a specific event when they were helpful and tell me about it.
16. If you have a problem with a teacher what do you do?
a. Probe: Tell me about a particular time when this happened.
17. If you have a problem in class, what do you do?
a. Probe: Tell me about a particular time when this happened.
18. If you have a problem with a homework assignment, what do you do?
a. Probe: Tell me about a particular time when this happened.
19. If you have a problem with a student what do you do?
a. Probe: Tell me about a particular time when this happened.
20. If you have a problem with resources, what do you do?
a. Probe: Tell me about a particular time when this happened.
21. If someone asks you for help in class, what do you do?
a. Probe: Think back to a recent time when someone asked you for help, tell me
about it.
22. Think about a time in class when you noticed a fellow student having a difficult time
in class with the work, what did you think? What did you do, if anything?

Now I want to talk about your goals after college.
23. Tell me about your goals. What do you want to do after college?
a. Probe: What do you want to be when you grow up?
24. In what ways do you see college helping you achieve your goals?
a. Probe: What is it that you think you are going to get out of college?
b. Probe: How do you decide what classes to take in school?
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 242

c. Probe: Do you have a major?
25. What if any plans do you have to keep going to school when you finish here?
a. Probe: 4-year?
b. Probe: Technical school?
26. If you could change something about your college, what would it be?
27. How would changing that particular thing make things different for you as a student?
a. Probe: Give me a specific example as to why this would make it better.
28. What about this college would you keep the same?
a. Probe: Think about a particular example when keeping it the same has been
helpful to you as a student? Tell me about it.

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 243

Appendix B: Individual Interview Protocol - Second

Interview
Name: _______________________________________ Age/DOB: ____________________
Gender: __________ Number of Year(s) in School: ________ Number of Units: _____________
Title: _________________________________________________________________________
Time Began: ____________ Time Completed: ________________ Total Time: ____________
Researcher: ____________________________________________________________________

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview. The purpose of the second interview is to
continue discussing your life experiences, perceptions, and personal factors that impact Latino
student persistence from first-year to second-year. This second interview will focus on the social
and cultural aspects of your life as it relates to your family and your education. Your responses
are completely confidential and your responses will remain anonymous. I want to remind you
that this interview will be taped so I may transcribe it later for accuracy. Please share any
information you feel comfortable in sharing. If at any time you do not feel comfortable sharing
information or would like to end the interview, please let me know.

Are you ready to begin?

Cultural:
1. What does it mean to you to be from ______________ culture?
2. How has _____________________, _____________________, and
_______________, contributed to who you are as a student? Give me a recent
example of what that looks like for you.
3. How has _____________________, _____________________, and
_______________, contributed to who you are in the classroom? Give me a recent
example of what that looks like for you.
4. How has _____________________, _____________________, and
_______________, contributed to who you are on the campus? Give me a recent
example of what that looks like for you.
5. Remember I asked you those questions about problem solving before, are there ways
in which these things you have said about yourself culturally have helped you solve a
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 244

problem? Think about a recent example where there are ways in which how you have
described yourself culturally have played a role in solving the problem.
6. You discussed your favorite teacher, are there ways in which your favorite teacher
demonstrated an understanding of your culture? Provide me a specific example of
when this happened.
7. I also remember when you discussed your least favorite teacher, are there ways in
which the teacher treated your differently because of your culture? Provide me a
specific example of when this occurred.
8. What kinds of interactions have you had with students from different cultures? Tell
me about these.
9. Have you had any great experiences? Describe an example of a great experience.
10. Have you had any bad experiences? Describe an example of a bad experience.
11. What kinds of cultural events or activities have you seen or participated in on
campus?
12. What kinds of activities on campus do you attend? How do you decide to attend
these particular activities or events?
13. Are there activities or events that you would like to see on campus that do not exist?
Be specific.
a. Probe: How would these activities improve your experience at school?

Now I want to focus on the social aspects of school.
Social:
1. Do you spend time on campus other than go to class? Tell me about the things you
like to do on campus when you are not in class. Describe a recent time and give me
an example.
b. Probe: Where do you hang out?
c. Probe: Who was with you?
d. Probe: What did you do?
2. Who do you study with or do homework with? For example, do you study with other
people? Or do you study alone?
3. Where do you study?
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 245

a. Probe: Do you study on campus?
b. Probe: At a coffee shop?
c. Probe: At someone’s house or your own house?
4. Do you and your school friends have the same goals? Tell me about that.
a. Probe: Are your goals similar or different? Tell me about a specific
example of how they are similar or different.
b. Probe: Think about a particular instance where your goals were different
than another individual. How did you handle the situation?
c. Probe: Did it affect your goals?
5. What are the things in particular that you like about your school friends?
6. Why did you choose them or why do you spend time with them at school?
7. Do you see yourself as being a part of this school? Do you think of it as your school?
What makes you feel that way? Describe a particular event that you believe shows
why you feel you are a part of this school or not a part of this school.
8. Do you think that you “fit in” with other students at the school? Think about a
situation that shows how you “fit in” or do not “fit in” with other students at the
school and tell me about it.
9. Who do you hang out with outside of school? Are your friends at school the same as
your friends outside of school?
10. In what ways are your friends outside of school goals similar to yours?
11. In what ways are your friends outside of school goals different from yours?

So now we are going to take a step back and I want to talk to you about some things that have
nothing to do with school and have to do with life outside of school and your home and your
community.

Pedagogies of Survival:
1. If you think about growing up, were there experiences that your parents or
grandparents or other family members talked about a lot? Provide me with an
example of one of those experiences that you heard about over and over again. Tell
me about it.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 246

2. Were there stories that they shared with you over and over again? Things that may
have sounded like myth or they thought that they were really important stories for you
to hear.
3. If you thought they were really important, why did you feel that they were important?
What did your family members say or do to express how significant or important they
were?
4. When were these stories discussed? Family reunions, gatherings, when something
was being celebrated or when something bad happened?
5. What was the story?
6. What was the most challenging thing that you saw your family members go through
growing up? Tell me about it.
7. How did this experience make you feel?
8. Did you learn any lessons from this experience?
9. Are there lessons that your family shared with you about this experience?
10. How did it influence them?
11. What did they tell you about this lesson?
12. Have you ever decided to not follow your families’ advice? Tell me about it.
13. When have you actively chosen to follow your families’ advice? Tell me about it.
14. Have you ever done something and then only realized after the fact that you were
following your families’ advice? Tell me about it.
15. Have you ever been somewhere when someone has said to you “you are just like your
mom, or your dad, or your abuelita!” Tell me about this experience in particular.

Now I want to talk to you about these experiences and how they show up in your school
experiences.
16. When, if at all, have you used advice from your family to help you work through a
challenge? Tell me about this.
17. When have you remembered a dichos o consejos that your family has told you when
you were working on something difficult and how have you used that story to help
you. Tell me a particular example.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 247

18. When have you thought about an experience from your family’s life that they have
shared with you to help you make a decision about school? Tell me about a specific
example.
19. What is it about that story that helped you? How was that experience helpful to you?
20. Tell me about a specific situation when you were struggling in school and used dichos
o consejos that you learned from your family to help you. Provide an example.
21. Tell me about a specific situation when you were struggling in school and used dichos
o consejos that you learned from your family and it was not helpful. Provide an
example.
22. Tell me about a specific situation when you were struggling in school and chose not
to use dichos o consejos that you learned from your family to help you. Provide an
example.
23. Think about a particular time when you asked your father for advice. Tell me about
this time.
24. Why did you go to him for advice?
25. What kind of advice did he give you?
26. When you hear your Dad in your head, what does he sound like?
27. Think about a particular time when you asked your Mother for advice. Tell me about
this time.
28. Why did you go to her for advice?
29. What kind of advice did she give you?
30. When you hear your Mom in your head, what does she sound like?
31. Think about a particular time when you asked other family members for advice. Tell
me about this time.
32. Why did you go to them for advice?
33. What kind of advice did they give you?
34. When you hear your family members in your head, what do they sound like?
35. When things got tough at home, what did/does your dad do?
36. When things got tough at home, what did/does your mom do?
37. Do you ever think to yourself, what would mom do if she were in my situation? Tell
me about this.
PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 248

38. Do you ever think to yourself, what would dad do if he were in my situation? Tell me
about this.
39. What about other family members? Do you ever think about what other family
members would do if they were in your situation? Tell me about this.
40. Are there other members in the community who you have gone to for assistance or
guidance when things were difficult? Tell me about a particular situation when you
went to members in the community and asked for assistance.
a. Probe: Who were they?
b. Probe: Why did you choose them?

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 249

Appendix C: Informed Consent
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
Waite Phillips Hall
3470 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-4033

INFORMATION/FACTS SHEET FOR EXEMPT NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM–THE SECOND-YEAR LATINO
COMMUNITY COLLEGE EXPERIENCE: STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE
PERSONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PERSISTENCE

You are invited to participate in a research study. Research studies include only people who
voluntarily choose to take part. This document explains information about this study. You should
ask questions about anything that is unclear to you. You must be aged 18 and up to participate.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This research study aims to examine second-year Latino community college students’ perceptions
of the personal (social competence, problem solving skills, autonomy, and sense of purpose) and
environmental factors (family, school, and community) and their experiences that influence
persistence through to their second-year. The focus will be on students’ experiences, drawing from
lessons shared by family and members of the students’ community. This research study will
examine the ways in which these experiences and the students’ personal characteristics shape
students’ persistence in community college.

PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
If you agree to take part in this study, you will be asked to participate in 2 interviews. Each of the
interviews will be approximately 2 hours in length and audio-taped. You do not have to answer
any questions you don’t want to; if you don’t want to be taped, handwritten notes will be taken.

ALTERNATIVES TO PARTICIPATION
Your alternative is to not participate. Your relationship with your institution or your grades in your
program will not be affected whether you participate or not in this study.

CONFIDENTIALITY
Any identifiable information obtained in connection with this study will remain confidential. Your
responses will be directly labeled with your personal identifying information. The audio-tapes will
be destroyed once they have been transcribed. The data (including your identifiable information)
will be stored on a password protected computer in the researcher’s office for five years after the
study has been completed for the purpose of future research and then destroyed. If you don’t want
your data used in future studies, you should not participate. If you don’t want your identifiers
retained, you should not participate.

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 250

The members of the research team and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects
Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research studies
to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.

The results of this research may be made public, shared with participating sites and quoted in
professional journals and meetings, but results from this study will only be reported as a group
such that no individual respondents can be identified. No identifiable information will be included.

INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Principal
Investigator: Jessica Santos via email at jessica.santos@usc.edu or phone at (562) 676-5944.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Julie Slayton, JD, PhD via email at jslayton@rossier.edu or phone at (213)
740-3292.

IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the
research in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone
independent of the research team, please contact the University Park Institutional Review Board
(UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or
upirb@usc.edu.

SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT
I have read the information above. I have been given a chance to ask questions. My questions
have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I understand that
my identifiable information will be kept with my data and may be used in future research. I have
been given a copy of this form.

AUDIO

 I agree to be audio recorded

 I do not want to be audio recorded and agree to allow the researcher to handwrite notes

__________________________________________
Name of Participant

__________________________________________ ________________________
Signature of Participant Date

PURSUING THE EDUCATIONAL DREAM 251

SIGNATURE OF INVESTIGATOR

I have explained the research to the participant and answered all of his/her questions. I believe
that he/she understands the information described in this document and freely consents to
participate.

________________________________ _______________________
Signature of Person Obtaining Consent Date

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Latino students who decide to pursue higher education are more likely than any other group to attend community colleges (Crisp & Nora, 2010

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Asset Metadata

Creator Santos, Jessica Maye (author)

Core Title Pursuing the educational dream—the second-year Latino community college experience: students’ perceptions of the social, cultural, academic and internal experiences that influence persistence

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 03/13/2017

Defense Date 10/25/2016

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag academic,community college,cultural,experience,experiences,external factors,internal factors,Latino,OAI-PMH Harvest,pedagogies of survival,persistence,resilience,second-year,social,student perceptions,students' perceptions,Success

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Slayton, Julie (committee chair), Corwin, Zoe (committee member), Samkian, Artineh (committee member)

Creator Email jessica.maye.santos@gmail.com,jessica.santos@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-347665

Unique identifier UC11257712

Identifier etd-SantosJess-5133.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-347665 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-SantosJess-5133.pdf

Dmrecord 347665

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Santos, Jessica Maye

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA