As I have walked on the path to my doctorate degree, I have learned education looks different depending on where you live or how you grew up. I grew up thinking everyone who wanted to go to college did go, and that graduation was the only result possible. I thought this because of my formative years being spent in Montana. The only race I experienced was the Native Americans and that was limited. They lived on the reservations and we only interacted (briefly) at sporting events. My university was also predominantly white and still is. There were Native Americans at my university so that somewhat reinforced the idea in my mind that if you wanted to go to school, you could. Little did I know, many of them did not complete their degrees.
As I moved out of state and became more culturally aware, I have found the idea that everyone goes to college is not true. For example, some of the students in my doctoral program shared stories of the tough battles they fought to get where they are today. Some had even been told they shouldn't continue their education. This prompted me to look at the potential post-secondary opportunities for the students in my high school classroom. I wanted to know if and why they were being deterred from continuing their education into college.
To do so, I engaged in classroom discussions about their plans for the future. I followed up with former students to see where they were on their education journey. I was sadly surprised to find that several of my bright students had dropped out of college after one or two semesters, for a variety of reasons, including having a baby or needing to work to help the family. Some students told me they didn't fit in at college or they really didn't know what to do or who to ask. However, some students said their parents didn't allow them the option of quitting This sparked a question for my research agenda: why are some minority students not going the distance and earning a degree? I teach a dual credit class on a high school campus to predominantly Hispanic students. They are bright and do well in my class. I wanted to figure out what is the hurdle between here and their college degree.
I have found articles and people with as many opinions about why students aren't completing as there are students going and not going to college. Hispanics: Education Issues. (2019, May 8) states student achievement gaps between Whites and Hispanics should be seriously looked at. It stated many students from poor families also attend poor schools without family to support them. Wagner found Hispanic enrollment is growing but the completion rate is not (Wagner, 2015). This led me to shift my focus to looking at ways high schools can better prepare minority students for college, so they can ultimately finish.
I know many students who have said they would like to "just work with their family". I interpret this to mean there is an entrepreneurial spirit in the students in my classes. I would still like to impress upon them the value of a degree on the path to joining the family business or business ownership. Education is held in high esteem in today's society. If society valued education the same as hard work, education could be bypassed. If students of today can increase their earning with more education, it could increase the stability of their lives as well as their families. This may involve a culture shift from leaving school and going directly to the workforce but in the long run, it would better equip students to continue and complete their education . Parents should be involved in the decision process so they can also understand the significance of a college degree. Families and students should be shown the implications of additional education and how it can improve their lives.
My overall research agenda will take me on a journey exploring potential issues affecting the college graduation rates of minority high school students. I will examine the available research to prepare a program which can be implemented in high schools to provide needed tools for college success.
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