<p> Existing research illustrates that although Latinos make up the largest ethnic minority group in the country, Latinos continue to have the lowest college degree attainment rates (Ramirez, 2014). Despite the increasing rates of high school graduation rates, there remains a large educational achievement gap between Latinos and their white and Asian counterparts (P&eacute;rez Huber, Malagon, Ramirez, Camargo Gonzalez, Jimenez, &amp; V&eacute;lez, 2015). As we see the increase of the Latino population, it is important to highlight the disparities between Latina and Latino students. Although female students over exceed in enrollment and retention numbers across K-12 and higher education over their male counterparts, they continue to graduate and attain degrees at a lower rate (P&eacute;rez Huber, V&eacute;lez, &amp; Sol&oacute;rzano, 2014). </p><p> This study serves to highlight the experiences first-generation Chicanas/Latinas have within higher education, their navigation and negotiation within academia, their personal sectors as that of self-wellness and family, and the barriers they face within higher education and their personal identities. The research used a qualitative counter-narrative case study inquiry approach to interview, observe, and analyze the experiences of first-generation Chicanas/Latinas in higher education. Latino Critical Race (LaCrit) (Sol&oacute;rzano &amp; Yosso, 2001), Chicana Feminist Theory (Moraga &amp; Anzald&uacute;a, 1983; Delgado Bernal &amp; Elenes, 2011), and Critical Consciousness (Freire, 2007) guide the theoretical framework of this study. Therefore, this study will add to the existing literature by conducting counter-narrative <i>testimonios </i> of five <i>muxeres</i> who illustrated their pathways in higher education while maintaining their various identities.</p><p>

<p> Based on indicators of educational achievement in the United States, Latinos have lagged behind most other demographic groups. This study explored Latino students&rsquo; social identity through a qualitative research design that privileged student voice as a vehicle to addressing educational disparities. The research design employed a phenomenological approach within the framework of practitioner research to explore students&rsquo; constructions of identity in reference to school in one suburban community. Research has shown that students&rsquo; experiences and sense of social identity can have significant impacts on academic performance (Aronson &amp; Good, 2002; Moya, 2002; 2009; Steele &amp; Aronson, 1995; Steele, Spencer, &amp; Aronson, 2002). As a Latino school district leader who desires to improve practice by better understanding Latino students in a suburban school setting in which they have a minority presence, in this study I created a forum where students could speak to their experiences and reality in that setting. This study&rsquo;s conceptual framework was grounded in the following areas of scholarship: social identity theory, critical race theory, and the concepts of student voice. Data collection included interviews, focus groups, and identity mapping with 15 high school participants. The study resulted in four main findings: Latino students feel stigmatized and isolated; they perceived and replicated racial microaggressions; there are elements of school they appreciate; and institutional practices create and support bias. This study is only a start to a fuller review and exploration of these themes at the school level. For such conversations to be productive, students&rsquo; voices must be included.</p>

<p> This study examined the lived college-to-career experiences of 23 Black and Hispanic first-generation bachelor&rsquo;s degree recipients who completed an 18-month career preparation program conducted by Management Leadership for Tomorrow, a non-profit organization dedicated to the career preparation and professional advancement of high-performing emerging leaders from underrepresented, diverse communities, including undergraduate students transitioning from college to career. </p><p> With record high costs of higher education, increased demand for bachelor&rsquo;s degree credentials in the labor force, and disproportionately higher rates of unemployment for Black and Hispanic first-generation college graduates, understanding the forces that influence the college-to-career transition of Black and Hispanic first-generation bachelor&rsquo;s degree recipients is critical. Using a qualitative research approach, the data gathered from semi-structured interviews were analyzed through the prisms of human capital theory and social cognitive career theory, a career-related construct for examining the personal, behavioral, and environmental forces influencing individual career choices, expectations, decisions, and outcomes. </p><p> The findings point to five forces influencing the college-to-career experiences of the 23 Black and Hispanic FGC graduates in this study: family, persistence, preparation, networking, and race.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study is to examine the Latina Millennial experience while completing an advanced degree, and to identify the parental/familial supports that help them persist and succeed. Through the collection of the participants&rsquo; <i>testimonios</i>, interviews were designed to capture their lived experiences as well as, their perceptions of why they succeed. The study was conducted using narrative methods, specifically <i> testimonios</i> to recount the lived experiences of the participants. The conceptual framework includes Chicana Feminist Epistemology (Delgado Bernal, 1998) and resilience theory (Connor and Davidson, 2003; Masten, 2011; Richardson et al., 1990). The collected <i>testimonios</i> emphasize the factors that positively influenced Latinas to successfully pursue and complete an advanced degree. The <i>testimonios</i> also highlight how parents and family and support systems developed as they pursued an advanced degree.</p>

<p> Guided by the critical network analytic framework and liminal legality, this qualitative study explored the experiences of undocumented Latina/o youth in their first year in college to gain insight into their experiences during a critical transition in their educational and life trajectories. This work centered the experiences of youth within a policy context of contradictions that provides increased opportunities, but continues to impose restrictions and control on the life and educational aspirations of the undocumented community. This scholarship aimed to understand how students&rsquo; transition to college is impacted by current immigration and educational policies, particularly the California Dream Act and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This research describes the racist nativist microaggressions youth experienced throughout their educational trajectories, the multiple ways policy impacted the transition to college, and the navigational strategies youth employed to matriculate to higher education.</p>

<p> El prop&oacute;sito del estudio se enfoc&oacute; en conocer c&oacute;mo funcionan los programas de retenci&oacute;n. Utiliz&oacute; un dise&ntilde;o instrumental de caso (Stake, 1995) y se delimit&oacute; en su alcance a explorar y describir la experiencia de un programa de retenci&oacute;n, en el contexto de una instituci&oacute;n universitaria privada en Puerto Rico (PR). Enfatiz&oacute; en los procesos y experiencias del programa, interesados en mejorar el entendimiento del fen&oacute;meno de la retenci&oacute;n estudiantil en el entorno de la universidad privada en PR. </p><p> Las preguntas fueron dirigidas a explorar y describir: los procesos y experiencias del programa que facilitan la integraci&oacute;n de los estudiantes; condiciones que generan una ecolog&iacute;a que facilite el &eacute;xito de &eacute;stos; mecanismos anticipatorios y de adaptaci&oacute;n que se observan en ellos, y c&oacute;mo son incentivados para responder a eventos que les afectan; y, aquellas interacciones en el campus y con el programa que involucran a &eacute;stos en su vida acad&eacute;mica. La informaci&oacute;n se recopil&oacute; mediante grupos focales, y el an&aacute;lisis e interpretaci&oacute;n, mediante triangulaci&oacute;n de datos y secuenciaci&oacute;n anal&iacute;tica (Stake, 1995), discutiendo y armonizando contrastes sobre la percepci&oacute;n entre los participantes sobre el &eacute;xito y contribuciones del programa. </p><p> Los hallazgos revelan: a) consensos sobre la contribuci&oacute;n del programa para facilitar la integraci&oacute;n de los estudiantes, mediante el apoyo para el manejo de la transici&oacute;n, el trato individualizado, la disponibilidad y accesibilidad de los servicios, ambientes de oportunidades, y el compromiso y liderazgo institucional; b) experiencias con influencias positivas en la retenci&oacute;n, posibilitadas mediante interacci&oacute;n entre pares, contacto con profesores, involucramiento en actividades extracurriculares, grupos de apoyo e interacciones con el personal del programa; c) fuertes conexiones de los estudiantes con el personal, con profesores y compa&ntilde;eros de grupo para responder a situaciones personales y de riesgo; y, d) testimonios que demuestran las fortalezas del programa para involucrar a los estudiantes acad&eacute;micamente, para mejorar el desempe&ntilde;o acad&eacute;mico y retenci&oacute;n. Finalmente, se plantean contrastes entre los participantes del programa, acerca de asuntos que les resultan comunes, pero que mantienen apreciaciones discrepantes entre s&iacute;, las cuales deben tener consideraci&oacute;n futura en el dise&ntilde;o e implantaci&oacute;n de los programas similares en otras universidades privadas en PR.</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the overall lived experiences of DACAmented Latina/o students enrolled within the California Community College system. Adding to the limited research on the undocumented student population, specifically those who are Deferred Action recipients, findings highlight the experiences of students who have persisted in higher education by drawing on their cultural wealth to pursue their dreams and aspirations regardless of their status. From the voices of 10 students three themes emerged, (a) coming of age as undocumented, (b) navigating higher education, and (c) the impact of DACA. These three themes will demonstrate how this population makes sense of their status and navigates higher education within a time of constant change and uncertainty in our country at both the federal and state level. This study adds to the research on DACAmented Latina/o community college students, offers recommendations for practice and state and federal policy are also discussed.</p>