Bridging the Gap: Cultural Wealth and College Transitions for Upward Bound Students

• In Event: 81.010 - Cross-Cutting Session 4. Beyond the Schoolhouse Door: Expanding the Physical Boundaries of Education

Abstract

The transition from high school to college is challenging and stressful for most students; however, this transition is even more daunting for low-income, first-generation, Black and Latinx students. Even though there are higher numbers of minoritized students graduating from high school, many do not enroll in postsecondary institutions – and if they do attend college, they persist at much lower rates than their peers. If policymakers, scholars, practitioners, and educators want to address the educational disparities of these students, their voices need to be highlighted. Therefore, this study will examine the experiences of a ten low-income, first-generation, Black and Latinx college students who used their cultural wealth to transition and persist through college.

Author

• Ashley Carpenter, University of Massachusetts - Amherst