Creating Change for Native Students in College Application Processes Through Relationships: College Horizons Faculty Experiences

• In Event: Supporting the College Success of Underserved Students: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

This paper examines the experiences of faculty (admission officers and volunteer counselors) at a selective pre-college access program for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students called College Horizons. The program experiences success in student outcomes, with 95% of students enrolling in 4-year universities, and 85% graduating within 5 years (Collegehorizons.org). This analysis asks: How do faculty members experience CH? Which aspects of the program encourage sustained and continued engagement with CH and each other? Findings include interest convergence, creating a network of relationships to support institutional change, and experiencing an Indigenous counter-space that re-shapes perceptions of Native peoples.

Author

• Adrienne Keene, Brown University