Despite the growth of ethnic diversity in the United States, significant educational attainment gaps remain between minoritized students and their White counterparts. To address the issue of the lower number of doctorate degrees conferred to African American students relative to their White peers, researchers have studied the challenges students of color face in their educational journey. However, many studies analyze student attrition from a deficit perspective instead of a holistic approach to understanding college persistence. Recent studies have attempted to identify patterns and trends of doctoral students enrolled in degree programs. However, there is little asset-based literature in academia on first-generation African American students’ experiences during their doctoral journey.