Title
Road less travelled: tracing the path of first-generation students from rural areas to college
Advisor
Hess, Robyn
Committee Member
Bardos, Achilles
Committee Member
Murdock, Jennifer
Committee Member
Bassett, Diana
Department
Applied Psychology & Counselor Education
Institution
University of Northern Colorado
Type of Resources
Text
Place of Publication
Greeley (Colo.)
Publisher
University of Northern Colorado
Date Created
5-1-2012
Genre
Thesis
Extent
262 pages
Digital Origin
Born digital
Description
Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2012. Narrative inquiry was used to trace the educational journeys of 11 first-generation university students from rural areas of Colorado in an effort to identify the experiences,beliefs, and people that impacted their decision to attend a 4-year institution. Students were asked to convey their experiences growing up within the contexts of their family,social circle, schools, and rural communities identifying seminal experiences and people. Although each path was very unique, several common themes emerged across narratives.The importance of self-determination, parent encouragement, a social circle that shared the value of education, and the common goal of college attainment were noted. Precollegiate programs and the development of a high school mentor were deemed pivotal by participants in navigating the college admission process. Participants also noted a sense of connectedness in their rural communities that they sought to replace in their college community by selecting a smaller college with an atmosphere of approachability and friendliness. In tracing the path of these rural first-generation students, this study offered up the elements that could be used to forge a path to college for future first-generation students from rural areas.
Degree type
PhD
Degree Name
Doctoral
Place
Colorado
Language
English
Local Identifiers
Hodsdon_unco_0161D_10145.pdf
Rights Statement
Copyright is held by author.
