To "Suffer by Choice": Latinx High School Seniors Preparing for College

• In Event: 51.081 - Sheraton Roundtable Session Nine - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 51.081-5 - Using Critical Frames to Understand College Access and Choice

Abstract

The senior year is notorious for non-academic distractions. However, senior-year academic skill development may be of particular importance to college success. For inner-city Latinx students, senior struggles are compounded by challenges facing urban schools and neighborhoods. Indeed, Latinx students are underrepresented at four-year colleges and graduate at lower rates than their White peers. Questions of adequate academic preparation are at the center of conversations on Latinx college outcomes. This study interviews sixteen highly motivated, college-bound Latinx seniors at four points throughout the school year. The author argues for a conception of senior year college preparation at inner-city schools that highlights the development of "struggle resilience" and "struggle appreciation" amongst Latinx seniors.

Author

• Suneal Kolluri, San Diego State University