Summer Bridge as a Counterspace: Redefining Traditional Notions of Success for Students of Color

• In Event: Nuances and Challenges to Traditional Notions of College Success

Abstract

This paper challenges traditional and deficit constructions of college student success that are rooted in systems of oppression like whiteness (Garcia, 2019). This paper calls on higher education institutions to take responsibility for providing race-conscious programs and services that could facilitate the success of college Students of Color. The authors draw on the college transition experiences of first-time, first-year Students of Color who participated in a Summer Bridge Program at a public four-year university in Southern California. The voices and experiences of the Students of Color demonstrate that the Summer Bridge Program under study acts as an academically empowering, caring, and validating third space (Garcia, 2019) for students as they transition into a white, individualistic, and hypercompetitive academic environment.

Authors

• Mayra Puente, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Brianna R Ramirez, University of California - San Diego