The Experiences and Insights of One Community College Foster Alum and One Community College Faculty Advocate
Type
Year published
Journal
Accession number
25551
Title
The Experiences and Insights of One Community College Foster Alum and One Community College Faculty Advocate
Series
Enrolling and Supporting Foster Youth
Volume and issue
2018, 181
Abstract
In this journal article, the authors seek to illuminate the stark reality of many students’ experiences as they transition from the foster care system to postsecondary education. This chapter presents the experience of one foster alumna, Volena, who traversed the educational landscape from high school dropout to community college graduate and successful university transfer student. By sharing Volena’s story, the authors intend to show the factors that contribute to the feeling of invisibility experienced by many foster alumni and understand the role of community college programming and infrastructure in creating or hindering successful pathways for foster alumni. They also consider how foster alumni can attain campus visibility. The authors based this life history on data gathered through semi-structured interviews, open interviews, and informal activities over a three-year period.
Availability details
Full-text available free of charge at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cc.20295