Transitioning from High School to College: Examining the Sources and Influences of Social Capital for a First-Generation Latina Student

This paper uses the life history method to narrate the experiences of Camilla, a 19-year-old, first-year student at a four-year university. Camilla emigrated with her mother from El Salvador to the United States during her freshman year of high school. Based on two years of data collection, the author presents Camilla's experiences at different stages, including her childhood in El Salvador, first and last year in high school, and her first year in college. The paper explores the sources and influences of social capital for a low-income, first-generation student and highlights its dynamic and contextual nature. The author argues that the findings have direct implications for the development of college access and readiness policies. Keywords: Life History, Narrative Research, Qualitative Research, Social Capital, Cultural Identity, Low-Income Student, First-Generation Immigrant, College Access and Readiness, Cultural Wealth, Public Policy, El Salvador Aside from a stray teacher or custodian, the high school's halls are empty. The school day concluded hours ago. The few students who remain sit at a long rectangular table inside the college center waiting to meet their mentors. University pennants clutter the walls; notices for scholarships and college visits clutter the bulletin boards. Camilla, switching between English and Spanish, chats with friends. (1) Her enormous backpack, full of large textbooks and ordered binders, rests on a nearby chair. Alex, the director of a mentoring program, announces the names of each mentee and then his or her corresponding mentor. (2) I wait to hear my name. After Alex finishes reading the long list, he asks if everyone has a mentor. One student raises her hand. Alex says, "Oh, Camilla, you're with Randy." I introduce myself to Camilla. We talk about the program. She speaks with bridled excitement. Lulls in the conversation are interrupted by questions: What's college like? What college did you go to? Why are you part of the program? I answer her questions. After talking for 15 minutes, we make arrangements to meet the following week. She wants to review application essays. Just before she leaves, I ask what she wants to do in college. "I'm not sure. I think psychology," she pauses, "That's good, right?" The transition from high school to college poses significant challenges for all students. They navigate diverse social settings, forge new relationships, and manage increased expectations and responsibilities. For low-income, first-generation immigrant students like Camilla, additional factors frequently exacerbate the transition (Contreras, 2011; Kirst & Reeves Bracco, 2004; Pascarella, Pierson, Wolniak, & Terenzini, 2004). Many attend under-resourced and underperforming high schools that do not support college-going (Oakes, Rogers, Lipton, & Morrell, 2002; Tierney & Colyar, 2009). Despite wanting to attend college (Deil-Amen & DeLuca, 2010), they often neither have clear access to the types of knowledge necessary to access and succeed in college nor resource brokers like teachers and college counselors to help transition (Conley, 2011; McDonough, 2005; Tierney, 2013). Even though they may arrive to college with a multitude of cultural assets (Gutierrez, Zitlali Morales, & Martinez, 2009; Moll, 1992; Yosso, 2005), they undertake complex processes including transitioning to college, learning traditional forms of college knowledge, and navigating institutional supports necessary to succeed in postsecondary education (Deil-Amen & Lopez Turley, 2007; Gamoran, Lopez Turley, Turner, & Fish, 2012; St. John & Musoba, 2011; Yosso, 2005). While important scholarship informs topics like preparation, remediation, and retention (see Attewell, Lavin, Domina, & Levey, 2006; Cabrera, Nora, & Castaneda, 1993; Goldrick-Rab, 2010; Long & Boatman, 2013; Relies & Tierney, 2013; Tinto, 2012), few studies have investigated in-depth the first-year experiences of low-income, first-generation immigrant students (Clydesdale, 2007; Stieha, 2010; Terenzini, Springer, Yaeger, Pascarella, & Nora, 1996; Tierney, 2013). …