The College Experiences of First-Generation College Latino Students in Engineering

Latinos continue to be underrepresented among students entering and completing engineering programs and overrepresented among first-generation college students; however few studies have examined the intersections between generational status and college major. I propose that to enhance the postsecondary persistence of first-generation college Latino students who pursue engineering baccalaureate degrees, it is necessary to understand their college experiences. I therefore interviewed eight undergraduate senior first-generation college Latino students majoring in engineering and analyzed these interviews guided by a psychosociocultural model (PSC) to address the context specific psychological, social, and cultural factors that shape the college experiences of these students. The findings revealed that: wanting to do well for themselves and their families enhanced participants' desires to do well academically and persist to graduation; the accessibility of professors played a role in whether or not participants felt validated; and participants differentiated between the climate on campus and the climate within the school of engineering.