In recent decades, increasing attention has been directed towards the importance of mentorship in supporting the career aspirations of college graduates, including those from underserved backgrounds (Beals et al., 2021). Mentoring programs have shown promise in facilitating personal and professional development and success (Beals et al., 2021).…

The research explores the lived experiences of minority women in K-12 educational leadership, examining their motivations for pursuing careers in this field, and the challenges they encounter on their professional and educational journeys. The challenges faced are multifaceted and include issues related to gender, culture, and race/ethnicity.…

Mentoring programs are not uncommon. In fact, they are more common than we think. Most mentoring programs and/or mentorship opportunities are informal and happen daily. While mentorship programs are common, some programs, specifically Pre-Pharmacy related, are overlooked. The lack of formalized opportunities impacts prospective students'…

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study is to explore how assistant principals describe their choices regarding survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun regarding whether to seek promotion to principal in southern Arizona. A principal shortage exists in the United States in part because assistant principals qualified to be…

A shortage of professional mariners to work onboard commercial vessels exists in the United States and in the world commercial fleets. State maritime academies graduate third mates and third assistant engineers ready to take up these positions, yet even after their training, not all choose to do so. The purpose of this study was to understand how…

While research on career paths has been studied for years, the impacts of identity rarely make it into the discussion. Leung et al. (1994) looked specifically at the factors that influence career aspirations in Asian Americans, but no South Asians were included in this work. To fill this gap, this research focused on the experience of South Asian…

This dissertation explores the intricate interplay of presidential priorities in the evolving landscape of higher education, particularly within the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Over the past 15 years, college presidents have confronted various challenges, from budget constraints and racial tensions to employee engagement…

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examines what influences 7th and 8th grade rural middle school students to consider a potential career trajectory. Phase One of the study includes a demographic and career cluster interest survey of 38 participants. Phase Two of the study focused on 23 of the 38 Phase One participants, who were…

This convergent mixed-methods study aimed to evaluate the mentorships in a high school with well-established student mentorship opportunities. Examining the characteristics and role of mentorships for students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers determined how mentorships impact STEM career decisions.…

Technology and innovation are reshaping our societies and economies at an accelerated pace, requiring new skills for individuals to thrive in economy and society and new educational models to support these changes. In response, world organizations seek solutions rooted in sustainable human development to ensure that future educational models are…

Only two percent of teachers in the United States are African American males (Wallace & Gagen, 2019). If this trend continues, the vast majority of students in America will never encounter an African American male teacher (Burns Thomas, 2020). The purpose of this research study was to explore the motivations and obstacles that African American…

In California, Filipina/x/os continue to be overrepresented in the nursing workforce, with the percentage of nurses identifying as Filipino increasing from 13.4% in 1993 to 20.6% in 2018 (Spetz et al., 2018). While a particular ethnic group being overrepresented in a certain industry is not problematic on its own, certain careers come with greater…

In recent years, there has been a growing body of research on childhood trauma and its potential effects on the development of a child into adulthood. The findings of this research indicate that those who have undergone traumatic experiences might demonstrate effects in their behavior, interactions with others, management of stressful situations,…

In the United States, there exists a significant disparity between the racial demographics of teachers and students, with a majority of educators being white. This mismatch underscores the critical shortage of teachers of color (TOC). While race does not determine teacher quality, a teacher's race, ethnicity, and language do shape the experiences…

This dissertation examines the post-college career choices of no-loan program alumni at Harvard College. Using a conceptual framework informed by elements of social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994) and Perna's (2006) model of college choice, it identifies "what" careers alumni chose after college and "how" and…