Over the last several decades, nontraditional students have increasingly enrolled in postsecondary institutions (Ellis, 2019). This diverse population has altered perceptions of the traditional college student. Nontraditional students drive higher education institutions to reexamine their mission, purpose, sources of support, and delivery…

Although education continues to be a pathway for social mobility, disparities remain in post-secondary attainment for traditionally marginalized populations such as the half-million youth in foster care (Children's Bureau, 2016). Due to multiple personal, social, and system barriers, only 46% of foster youth will earn a high school or GED diploma,…

This investigation explored what hinders and contributes to the level of trust a teacher has of the principal. Two research questions guided the investigation concerning what specific incidents teachers felt affected trust with the principal. This case study allowed veteran elementary teachers to be interviewed and share personal incidents that…

Many forms of oppression create barriers for health care, further health disparities, and impact the wellness of physicians. As health disparities, caused by the social determinants of health, complicate the practice of medicine, physicians' risk of burnout increases. The practice of Physician Cultural Responsibility provides a means to overcome…

Foster youth graduate from college at lower rates than their nonfoster youth peers. Only 10% of foster youth graduate with an associate degree, and less than 3% graduate with a bachelor's degree (Courtney et al., 2011), and there is a significant achievement gap between foster youth and nonfoster youth students (Emerson & Bassett, 2010; Hussar…

Institutions of higher education grapple with low retention rates, including community colleges, which have even lower rates. Historically, retention barriers include financial reasons, transportation issues, or lack of motivation. However, investigating the institution's role is also important. Institutional barriers come in the form of…

Teachers deserve a voice. Their experiences should be known in order to identify troublesome factors that often make school a constraining place. Their stories, no matter how messy, must be explored to better understand why our society loses many passionate educators. Through autoethnographic inquiry, I analyze my own story using creative works…

First generation college students (FGCS) have a multitude of responsibilities both academic and personal. Most nursing programs are challenging and may result in not every student passing the preset nursing curricula. Consider being a FGCS who is eagerly pursuing a nursing degree but fails to meet matriculation. For those FGCS in nursing who,…

While there are a variety of teaching methods that may or may not be successful, this study focused on a student led, autonomous classroom environment--where autonomy is defined as offering students several choices and much control of a classroom. The researcher addressed how this learning environment supported the idea of demonstrating care in…

Student affairs professionals (SA-pros) play a critical role throughout campus life (Gaston-Gayles, Wolf-Wendel, Tuttle, Twombly, & Ward, 2005; Hirt, 2006; 2009). Although these staff are trained and responsible for LGBQ student well-being (Kezar, 2010; Kezar, Gallant, & Lester, 2011), those serving at Christ-centered institutions are…

The number of direct support professionals (DSPs) needed to support the increasing numbers of adults diagnosed with autism within the United States continues to grow exponentially. DSPs receive minimal training and often fail to generalize the training they have received, which can directly lead to poor learning outcomes for the adults they serve.…

The high school dropout problem in the U.S. has been studied extensively; however, the dropout of English Learner (EL) students is an underreported phenomenon. This study sought to understand the lived experiences of EL students from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) who attended high school on…

This study focuses on the stories shared by three young adults under the age of 30who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and an intellectual disability(ID). These young adults reflected on their transition from school to adult service options, including their experience with careers, relationships, and community supports. This study…

Teaching middle school students during adolescence can be challenging; moreover, students who have been impacted by trauma have additional needs and supports to succeed in school. According to the American Psychological Association (APA, 2013), two-thirds of children in the United States indicated they had experienced a traumatic event before age…

This healing feminist autoethnography examines my gendered experiences as a school principal during the 2021-2022 school year, centering upon two research questions: How can personal accounts of sexist experiences disrupt gendered norms in educational leadership? And how can I, as a feminist leader, exist authentically and truthfully in…