International students' adjustment has been studied for many years. However, "first-generation" international students have not been adequately explored. International students and first-generation students both have many obstacles they must navigate and adapt to quickly to succeed in school. This study aimed to better understand who…

Highly sensitive students are in every classroom, but few educators know of their presence or the problems that they face in the learning environment. This group of children often struggle in silence as twice-exceptional individuals who have both significant gifts but also particular challenges to navigate a neurotypical school environment. Both…

Black people have been actively engaged in US higher education for over a century, and it is important to highlight traits that promote positive outcomes, particularly psychological constructs (Danoff-Burg et al., 2004; Kolluri & Tichavakunda, 2022). Thus, there is a need for continued research on obstacles in college environments and…

The retention of students is paramount to the success of higher education institutions. If a university cannot retain its student population, they run the risk of suffering financial loss. As the number of non-traditional students entering higher education increases, it is essential to understand how to retain this population of students. Research…

To inform higher education and student affairs (HESA) professionals who work with college students outside of the classroom, we asked the research question: How do undocumented Latinx college students use aspirational capital to navigate higher education? Aspirational capital is the ability to maintain hopes and dreams for the future in the face…

This study explores resiliency among former foster youth enrolled in four-year universities and seeks to understand what makes this unique population resilient enough to achieve and maintain academic success despite remaining underserved and largely absent from educational discourse (Johnson, 2020). The qualitative approach of this study involved…

This qualitative study focuses on the experiences of Women of Color in doctoral programs to highlight the challenges they face, the silences they encounter, and the navigational tools they utilize to persist through their programs. Women of Color continue to be marginalized in academia and face many challenges when earning graduate degrees…

The purpose of our study is to explore the nexus between trans students' experiences with pronoun usage and naming practices through campus interactions and navigations of campus. Grounded in a Deleuzian conception of becoming, our analysis explores the multiple and simultaneous ways that pronoun use effects trans student's experiences on campus.…

The current study examined how COVID-19 impacted urban college students' engagement in their schoolwork and whether John Henryism mediated the relationship among demographic variables and engagement. Results demonstrated that John Henryism is a significant predictor of all three engagement outcomes (absorption, dedication, and vigor) and mediated…

The number of students with ASD also identified as academically talented has been increasing over the last few decades. Unfortunately, little empirical research exists about this population of students. In this qualitative study, 40 college and university students with ASD who were identified as academically advanced and talented and enrolled in…

Objective: To understand how students are coping one year after campuses were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: Students at a large state university in Midwestern USA. Method: Sequential mixed method study. A photo-survey of students' experiences was conducted as part of an ethnographic study of "college life." Student…

This article is based on the journeys of four women who completed their doctorates in the discipline of Sociology. The four former doctoral students studied at the same distance education institution in South Africa, but they hail from Nigeria, Lesotho and Cameroon, respectively. Together with their former supervisor, autoethnography is used to…

U.S. higher education institutions have navigated unprecedented challenges to keep their campus communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic unfolded, communities of Color and those from low-income households, many of whom attend Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), were found to be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. In…

Mental health challenges, notably anxiety, disproportionately affect graduate students, with research indicating a 41% prevalence rate compared to the general population (Evans et al.). Academic writing anxiety (AWA) stands out among these concerns, correlating with lower grades, self-esteem, and self-efficacy (Martinez et al.; Daly and Wilson;…

There is a growing call for evidence-based programs to support college students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To optimize success, student support programs should be participant driven and the perspectives of college students with ASD should be included in program designs. However, there are limited firsthand accounts from college students…