Date of Conferral

9-16-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Counselor Education and Supervision

Advisor

Jasmine Willis

Abstract

First-generation Black and Latinx students report challenges of belonging and preparation in the transition to college. Limited research on these experiences hinders counselors’ support for these students. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore first-generation Black and Latinx college students’ meaning of their high school experiences. A hermeneutic phenomenology conceptual framework was used to explore the lived experiences of first-generation Black and Latinx college students, focusing on how guidance from high school counselors influenced their sense of belonging, persistence, and degree attainment in postsecondary education. Data were collected from nine participants through semistructured interviews and analyzed using a six-phase thematic analysis. The selection criteria included first-generation Black and Latinx college students who sought postsecondary preparation from their high school counselor. The findings revealed four central themes: the influence of high school counselors’ roles and responsibilities, the challenges of inadequate preparation for the transition to college, the significance of belonging, and the unique impact of being a first-generation Black or Latinx student. The findings from this study can lead to positive social change by bridging the gap between students, school counselors, and counselor educators by raising awareness of systemic challenges that continue to widen the education attainment gap among first-generation Black and Latinx college students. The results of this study suggest that school counselors serving this population must recognize the connection between students’ sense of belonging, inadequate preparation for the transition from high school to college, and persistence in postsecondary education.

Download

Share

 
COinS