Inspired to be the First: Increasing the Success
Rate of African American & Latino/a
First-Generation College Students
Dr. Pamela A. Larde, Professor of Research
larde_pa@mercer.edu
www.PamelaAntoinette.com
Introduction
• What to expect
from this
presentation
• Why this study
• Significance of
the study
The College Access Problem
The College Access Problem
True or False?
With the development of so many
new educational opportunities (such
as online schools and 2 year
colleges), access is really not such a
problem anymore.
The College Access Problem
• Inferior educational resources for students
living in underprivileged neighborhoods
• African American and Latino/a students
among the populations least likely to go
to college
• Lack of parental support to attend
college
• Limited college knowledge
What’s Often Overlooked
What’s Often Overlooked
• How first-generation students approach
overcoming challenges
• The strengths and assets that
first-generation students possess
• How the parents of first-generation
students provide support to educational
endeavors
Strengths Theory
• The Gallup Organization’s Strengthfinder
• Looking at students from a positive
standpoint, rather than simply a deficit
standpoint
• Studies on first-generation students often
come from a negative standpoint.
Strengths Theory
• The Gallup Organization’s
Strengthsfinder
• Looking at students from a positive
standpoint, rather than simply a deficit
standpoint
• Studies on first-generation students often
come from a negative standpoint.
Review of Literature
First-Generation Students:
Five Typical (or Mythical) Challenges
1. Lack of parental support
2. Poor academic preparation
3. Limited financial resources
4. Lack of college knowledge
5. Negative cultural norms
Research Site
“Private University”
• Private, Catholic University
• Located in Midwestern United States
• Approximate undergraduate population:
8,046
• 82% Caucasian, 4.6% African American,
4.1 % Latino, 4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian
The Sample
The Sample
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17 Students
8 African American
8 Mexican American
1 of mixed race
7 males, 10 females
3.0 GPA or higher
3 participated in pre-college program
All Mexican Americans raised by both parents
2 African Americans raised by both parents
How the Study Was
Conducted
• Phenomenological Study - Interviews
• Designed 16 interview questions
• Contacted students via student organization
email
• 28 respondents filled out an online
demographic questionnaire
• Selected students whose parents had no
college experience
• Conducted 17 tape-recorded interviews
And here’s what they told us
about the journey to
college…
The Nine Strengths
1. Not easily discouraged
2. Desires upward social mobility
3. Expects high academic performance
4. Resists stereotype threat
5. Rejects negative cultural norms
6. Aspires to pave the way for others
7. Possesses spiritual assurance
8. Has a sense of responsibility
9. Prefers self-reliance
Strength #1
Not Easily Discouraged
Strength #1
“No one can stop me.”
Remind them of their
self-determination.
“Ouch and that’s it.”
Encourage them to
share their success
strategies.
“Mom never says she’s
proud.”
“My school didn’t offer
it, so I found it.”
Help them transfer
their resourceful skills
to college and career.
Not Easily Discouraged
Strength #2
Desires Upward Social Mobility
Strength #2
“I want to get the
education my mom
couldn’t have.”
“My parents worked
hard for me.”
“My mentor was an
inspiration to me.”
“I don’t want to
struggle like my family.”
Encourage them to
talk about the future.
Coach them to
develop a game plan.
Place role models in
front of them.
Desires Upward Social Mobility
Strength #3
Expects High Academic
Performance
Strength #3
“Earning a ‘B’ is not
acceptable.”
Arm them with new
academic strategies.
“I sought out the
difficult courses.”
Encourage them to
connect with other
students.
“I met with my teacher
on Saturdays.”
Make sure they are
aware of resources.
Expects High Academic
Performance
Strength #4
Resists Stereotype Threat
Strength #4
“I stayed away from
other Latinos.”
“I worked hard not to
be the stereotype.”
“I ignored them.”
“I wanted to prove
myself even more.”
Educate them about
stereotype threat.
Be aware of their
racial identity
development.
Arm them with healthy
resistance strategies.
Resists Stereotype Threat
Strength #5
Rejects Debilitating
Cultural Norms
Strength #5
“Everyone called me a
sellout so I stayed to
myself.”
“My mom was jealous
of me, so I looked to
my grandmother.”
“I was NOT going to
live that kind of life.”
Praise them for their
strength.
Ask questions: Learn
their stories and
backgrounds.
Encourage them to
also reject negative
norms in college.
Rejects Debilitating
Cultural Norms
Strength #6
Aspires to Pave the Way
for Others
Strength #6
“I have to be a good
role model for my little
cousins.”
“If I don’t encourage
my siblings, no one
will.”
“I am here so that I
can help others get
here.”
Provide mentoring
opportunities.
Help the connect their
aspirations to help
others to a career.
Encourage them to
coordinate campus
events for siblings.
Aspires to Pave the Way
for Others
Strength #7
Possesses Spiritual Assurance
Strength #7
“God blessed me with
this opportunity.”
Encourage them to
discover their greater
life purpose.
“My faith in God is
what helps me
through.”
Help them connect
with a spiritual
community.
“I always said that
God didn’t bring me
this far to fail.”
Encourage them to
utilize those spiritual
values that motivated
them to seek college.
Possesses Spiritual Assurance
Strength #8
Has a Sense of Responsibility
Strength #8
“The roles are reversed. I
was my grandmother’s
caretaker.”
Help them effectively
balance academics,
activities, and job.
“I started translating
for my mom when I
was 5.”
Help them keep their
academic vs. familial
responsibilities in
perspective.
“I treated school like it
was my career.”
Has a Sense of Responsibility
Strength #9
Prefers Self-Reliance
Strength #9
“I took care of the
financial aid forms
myself.”
Encourage them to
seek out help when it
is needed.
“I never asked for help.
If I got help, it’s
because they offered.”
Encourage them to
use their problemsolving skills in college.
“My family wanted the
best for me but didn’t
know how to help.”
Provide team-building
experiences that
connect them with
other students.
Prefers Self-Reliance
Reflecting on
the Nine Strengths
Do you see any of these
strengths in your own students?
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Do they see these
strengths in themselves?
The College Predisposition Model
What does this mean for us?
What does this mean for us?
• How do these findings compare to what
you’ve seen in the students you work
with?
• What is happening on the high school
and college level that helps to nurture
these strengths?
• Where are opportunities being lost?
• What can you do in your role as a
professional to nurture these strengths?
Questions or Comments?
Digging Deeper: Resources
Check out some of these links for great
resources on this topic:
• http://www.strengthsquest.com/home.aspx
• Self-Determination Based Curriculum
• http://www.firstinthefamily.org/
Thank you for participating!
If you have questions or would like to discuss further, please
feel free to contact me via:
 Email: larde_pa@mercer.edu
 Twitter: www.twitter.com/empoweredwriter
 Facebook: www.facebook.com/empoweredwriter
 Website: www.PamelaAntoinette.com