InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies

This study contributes to research that aims to document the impact college can have on students during and after participating in a purposeful college retention program. This paper will provide a background on the demographics of the state, the demographics of the institutions along with the description of the Diversity Scholars Program as it stands within the institution to provide context to the study. A qualitative approach was utilized to articulate the causal impact of the DSP in relation to the change in students’ attitudes, values, and identities. The findings are analyzed under four common themes, Making the PWI Theirs to Claim, Ethnic Studies as a Minor/Major, “Somos Como Uña y Tierra”: Friendships Established and Career and Graduate Choice.

In the following sections, I illustrate the ways that Chicanx/Latinx DSP alumni spoke about the impact of the ethnic studies course. I focus on the ten students’ narratives about their academic, relational, and shifting perceptions of Students of Color, and themselves. I share their experiences to illustrate their understanding of the systemic problem occurring within education and society. Moreover, the findings of this study can help inform potential practices and policies that higher education institutions can adapt to increase the success of Chicanx/Latinx college students. I conclude this chapter with a summary on the purpose of this study and the significance the study can have as we continue to find ways to best support Students of Color’s academic and personal success during and beyond college.