ABSTRACT PETERS, BRIAN ANDERSON. "My Education, Not Only for Me and My Family but My People”: Storied Experiences of Native American Students' College Choice at Four-Year Institutions in North Carolina. (Under the Direction of Dr. Joy Gayles). While increased scholarship has begun to explore the stories of Native American students in higher education, less research has explored Native American student college choice. In this qualitative, narrative study, the experiences of seven Native American students’ college choice at four-year institutions in North Carolina were explored. Perna’s (2006) conceptual model of college choice provided a framework for the analysis. One research question guided this study: What were the storied experiences of Native American students from North Carolina when they chose to attend college? Findings from this study indicate that Native American students described their college choice process through four themes: family, Native identity and community, external factors, and growth and opportunities. Native American students in this study were inspired by their families and Native communities to pursue higher education. The participants pursued medical and human services disciplines to return and support their Native communities after completing their degrees. To be successful and have a “home feeling” on campus, they looked for universities with thriving Native communities through student organizations and supportive Native faculty and staff. Factors such as distance from home, academic preparation, and federal recognition impacted the participants choice. Through the four themes of Native college choice, higher education researchers, policymakers, and administrators have a better understanding of how to connect and serve Native American students. With increased attention, Native American student participation rates within higher education may increase as they have a home feeling on campus and perceive higher education as a gateway for success for their families and communities. © Copyright 2018 by Brian Anderson Peters All Rights Reserved "My Education, Not Only for Me and My Family but My People”: Storied Experiences of Native American Students' College Choice at Four-Year Institutions in North Carolina by Brian Anderson Peters A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Educational Research & Policy Analysis Raleigh, North Carolina 2018 APPROVED BY: _______________________________ _______________________________ Dr. Joy Gayles Dr. Susan C. Faircloth Chair of Advisory Committee _______________________________ _______________________________ Dr. Meghan M. Manfra Dr. Paul D. Umbach ii DEDICATION To my wife, Brooke Bailey Peters. iii BIOGRAPHY Brian Anderson Peters grew up in Roanoke, V.A. He started his higher education journey at Virginia Tech. Completing a bachelor’s degree in history, Brian completed the University Honors Program, graduated sum cum laude, and salutatorian of his class in 2008. He completed his undergraduate thesis under the direction of Dr. Bud Robertson. After the tragic events on April 11, 2017, Brian was inspired to work in higher education where he could support college students. He moved to Williamsburg, V.A. where he completed his master’s in education from the College of William and Mary. He completed his master’s thesis under the direction of Dr. Pamela Eddy in 2010. After completing his first two degrees, he worked for a year in Residence Life at the University of Tennessee: Chattanooga. He then moved to Raleigh, N.C. where he worked at N.C. State as the Honors Village Community Director with the University Honors Program and University Housing for four years. During this time, Brian began his doctoral degree at N.C. State. In 2015, Brian transitioned across campus to academic advising with the Poole College of Management. He was then promoted to senior academic advisor in 2017 and serves as the college’s representative to the University’s American Indian Advisory Council. Brian has published scholarship in multiple disciplines: higher education, Native American student experiences, cooperative extension, and history. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are several people I would like to thank for helping me complete not only my doctoral degree but my entire educational journey. First, I want to thank Dr. Joy Gaston Gayles for her mentorship and guidance as my chair and advisor. Her ideas and challenging feedback made me a better scholar and inspired me to conduct research that could have a positive impact on others. I would also like to thank the rest of my committee for giving critical feedback and support: Dr. Paul Umbach, Dr. Meghan Manfra, and Dr. Susan Faircloth. I would also like to thank the N.C. State Higher Education and School of Education faculty for their teaching, scholarship, and mentorship over the past six years: Dr. Audrey Jaeger, Dr. Alyssa Rockenbach, Dr. Stephen Porter, Dr. Tiffany Davis, Dr. Lance Fusarelli, Dr. Deleon Gray, Dr. Brad Mehlenbacher, Dr. Demetrius Richmond, Dr. Kay Moore, and Dean Mary Ann Danowitz. I always felt included as a part-time student due to the teaching style of the faculty, the support of the college in my education, and funding my study abroad experience in St. Petersburg, Russia. I would also like to thank the many NC State staff for their friendship, inspiration, and motivation. To my fellow Poole advisors: Melusian Wright, Jennifer McLamb, Megan Van Hook, Julie Lawson, Dr. Lauren Brown, Alissa Dodds, Christin James, DeWhitney Upchurch, and Keith Martin, I thank you all for being my daily partners in bringing positive change to the lives of our students. To Dr. Jason DeRousie, Brad Wingo, and Dr. Tamah Morant, thank you for your strong leadership within the office. And thanks to the rest of the Poole Office of Undergraduate Programs staff and faculty for their support and encouragement as I finished my degree, especially: Bonnie Yarboro, Stephanie Jares, Brian Newton, Dr. Janet Rakes, Tayah Butler, Rob Sandruck, Ellen Frost, Terry Price, Kathy Ford, Devona Mazyck, and Chandra Russell. In the University Honors Program, I would like to thank: Dr. Aaron Stoller, Carolyn v Veale, Dwayne Barnes, Marquette Russell, Dr. Sheryl Cornett, Dr. Tiffany Kershner, and Dr. Larry Blanton. Thank you for all the work you do to support NC State Honors students. And to my colleagues across campus, thank you for all the support and friendship the last few years at NC State. I would like to especially acknowledge the hard work and devotion of Division of Academic and Student Affairs and other NC State staff and friends for supporting our students. Thank you to Brittany Hunt, Dr. Barry Olson, Dr. Tim Luckadoo, Dr. Carrie McLean, Mindy Sopher, Mike Giancola, Adam Culley, Brian Matthis, Jennie Liner, Ralph Recchie, Sahana Sankar, Patti Baynes, Leigha Krick, Dr. Mike Mullen, and Dr. Tom Stafford for their support in my education. I also would like to thank my colleagues in the Executive Council for Phi Beta Kappa at N.C. State for their support and friendship the past several years. I also would not have completed my dissertation, or remained at N.C. State, if it had not been for the N.C. State students. As my participants taught me in this study, your community on campus is essential for feeling at home and being successful. First, I would like to thank my cohort members for taking this journey with me: Nicole Guistwite, Alex Waldie, Dr. Callie Womble, Ariel Cochrane-Brown, Dr. Alicia Keating Polson, Ashley Gray, Ginger Draughon, and Darren Smith. In addition, there are several doctoral students who supported me along the way: Greg King, Dr. Beth Vincent, Nicole Ditillo, Chelsea Doub, Ben Dictus, Nathan Williams, Helen Wu, Katie Johnson, Katie Smith, Ashley McMillan, Sharbari Dey, Dr. Rob Moore, Whitney Richardson, Megan Ennes, Whitney McLaughlin, Desiree Unselt, Dr. Ashley Clayton, Dr. Alessandra Dinin, Dr. Shauna Morin, Dr. Matt Starcke, Dr. Thomas Green, Dr. Becky Crandall, Dr. Racheal Brooks, Dr. Regina Williams, Dr. Mary Medina, Holley Nichols, and Sarah Andrea. Thank you all for being continual inspirations and great friendship. And to the N.C. State undergraduates, especially from the University Honors Program, the Poole College of vi Management, and the University Recreation and Wellness Fitness instructors, thank you for inspiring me every day. I would not have been able to complete a doctorate if I had not had the strong mentorship from scholars outside of N.C. State. To Virginia Tech faculty who first inspired me to conduct research: Dr. Nancy Franz, Dr. Barry Garst, and Dr. Bud Robertson, and to my advisors and mentors at the College of William and Mary: Dr. Pamela Eddy, Dr. Dot Finnegan, Dr. Eddie Cole, and Dr. James Barber, I thank you all for supporting me through the years and for your friendship. I would also like to thank Dr. Tim Cain from the University of Georgia for his advice and support. And thanks to my international colleagues who attended Summer School 2017 in Russia for their friendship and advice on my research. Over the years, I have developed close friendships with many wonderful people. I would like to thank Hunter Simmons for the many fun memories at Virginia Tech and beyond. To Kyle Lumsden for showing that true friendships last a lifetime. Thanks Caitlin Flynn, Helen Jones, Brittany Moore, Jen Eden, Jesse Oswald, and Sarah Davenport for their many years of friendship. I would also like to acknowledge the summer camp staffs that I had the pleasure of working with at W. E. Skelton 4-H Center who helped me become a better person. And thank you to my many friends I met at the College of William and Mary, especially: Kent Miller, Josh and Carolyn McCrea, Leila Derstine, Kelly Walker, Emily Miller, Dr. Justine Okerson, and Terry Fassanella. To the Native American tribes and nations of the United States and Americas, I thank you for allowing an outsider to learn about your cultures and sharing your stories.