The College-Going Experiences of Mexican American Participants Who Graduated from a College Preparatory Program

Despite educational levels improving in the Latinx community overall, Latinx adults continue to fall behind other racial and ethnic groups. The increases in educational attainment we have seen fall along gender lines, with Latinas graduating from college at a higher rate than Latinos. Despite these disparities, there is still a lack of knowledge about the intersectional education journey of Latinx students. This phenomenological study explores the gendered experiences of first-generation, documented, higher education students of Mexican origin who participated in a college preparatory program created for Latinx students and families. Utilizing the theory of community cultural wealth, students’ strengths are highlighted to demonstrate how their skills apply to higher education experiences. Findings indicate that long-term, holistic, mentoring from trusted adults was key to bolstering the educational success of students. The gendered analysis suggests Latinas may have increased opportunities to engage in on-campus programming than Latinos.