CREATING COLLEGE-GOING CULTURES FOR OUR CHILDREN: NARRATIVES OF TRIO UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM ALUMNI Dissertation Submitted to The School of Education and Health Sciences of the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership By Ieesha On’trel Ramsey, M.A. UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON Dayton, Ohio December 2019 CREATING COLLEGE-GOING CULTURES FOR OUR CHILDREN: NARRATIVES OF TRIO UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM ALUMNI Name: Ramsey, Ieesha On’trel APPROVED BY: Mary B. Ziskin, Ph.D. Committee Chair Pamela Cross Young, Ph.D. Committee Member Michele Welkener, Ph.D. Committee Member Ruth Thompson-Miller, Ph.D. Committee Member ii ABSTRACT CREATING COLLEGE-GOING CULTURES FOR OUR CHILDREN: NARRATIVES OF TRIO UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM ALUMNI Name: Ramsey, Ieesha On’trel University of Dayton Doctoral Committee Chair: Mary Ziskin, Ph.D. This qualitative research study used critical narrative inquiry methods to investigate the experiences of TRIO Upward Bound Program alumni during their program participation, and to explore how those experiences, according to participants’ own accounts, influenced their creation of a college-college going culture in their households for their own children. TRIO Upward Bound is a federally funded college access program that serves first-generation, low-income high school students, providing support and motivation to pursue higher education. Study participants were alumni of TRIO Upward Bound Programs in the state of Ohio who have earned a baccalaureate degree or higher, and are now the parents of college-enrolled or college-graduated children. The theoretical frameworks utilized in these analyses were cultural and social capital, and funds of knowledge. Study participants described receiving assistance with their high school-to-college transition, academic support, and mentoring through their participation in Upward Bound. They also shared that Upward Bound exposed them to experiences that increased their cultural and social capital, building upon the funds of knowledge they had received from the parents and other family members. The participants further recounted how they used their Upward Bound Program experiences iii to shape college-going cultures in their homes, and create pathways into higher education for their children. Implications for practice involving student recruitment, alumni connections, and creating college-going cultures are detailed, as well as implications for policy that include increased funding for TRIO Programs, participant tracking beyond six years after high school graduation, and changes in federal reporting structures. iv DEDICATION Dedicated to the ancestors whose shoulders I stand upon and the four women who raised me—my mother, Bettye Ramsey; my grandmother, “Momo” Rebecca Ramsey; my aunt, “Mama Gladys” Hughes; and my aunt, Sarah Walker. And to the one who stands on my shoulders—my daughter, Natalia I. Perkins. I hope I have made you all proud. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my Doctoral Committee for their guidance and support throughout my doctoral journey—Dr. Mary Ziskin, Dr. Pam Young, Dr. Michele Welkener, and Dr. Ruth Thompson-Miller. I could not have gotten to the finish line without you. I would like to acknowledge Eddie L. Chambers for his support, assistance, input, and expertise throughout the research process. Without your assistance, this research project would not have been possible. I would like to thank the study participants who were bold enough to share their stories, giving voice to the success of the TRIO Upward Bound Program. You put in the work to make TRIO Upward Bound work. I would like to acknowledge all of the TRIO practitioners, past, present, and future, who do the social justice work of creating college access and education opportunity for those from underrepresented backgrounds. It is often a thankless job, but this research study shows that you make more of a difference than you may ever know. I would like to remember always my dear friend and fellow scholar, Emily A. Hicks who supported me throughout my doctoral journey and gained her wings right at the very end. Rest in power dear friend. You will live on in my mind and heart forever. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii DEDICATION .................................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 Study Overview .............................................................................................................. 3 Topic and Purpose........................................................................................................... 4 First-generation College Students ............................................................................... 5 Barriers to College Access .......................................................................................... 7 TRIO Upward Bound Program ................................................................................. 10 College-Going Culture .............................................................................................. 13 Potential Significance of the Study ............................................................................... 16 Theoretical Framework and General Research Questions ............................................ 17 Cultural Capital ......................................................................................................... 17 Social Capital ............................................................................................................ 19 Funds of Knowledge ................................................................................................. 20 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................... 23 Overview ....................................................................................................................... 23 vii First-generation College Student Success ..................................................................... 24 TRIO Upward Bound Program ..................................................................................... 28 Upward Bound Program Participant Experiences .................................................... 32 Parental Involvement .................................................................................................... 37 Parental Support of First-Generation College Students ............................................ 42 Parental Involvement and TRIO Upward Bound Program ....................................... 46 College-Going Culture .............................................................................................. 49 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER 3 DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ............................................................ 59 Overall Approach and Rationale ................................................................................... 59 Critical Theory .......................................................................................................... 59 Narrative Inquiry ....................................................................................................... 62 Study Participant Selection Criteria .............................................................................. 67 Participant Selection and Recruitment .......................................................................... 69 Access, Role, Trust, and Rapport.................................................................................. 70 Ethical and Political Considerations ............................................................................. 71 Data Collection Methods .............................................................................................. 72 Data Analysis Procedures ............................................................................................. 75 Procedures to Address Trustworthiness and Credibility ............................................... 77 Researcher Positionality................................................................................................ 78 viii CHAPTER 4 STUDY PARTICIPANT NARRATIVES .................................................. 81 Overview ....................................................................................................................... 81 Late 60s/Early 70s......................................................................................................... 82 Brian Henderson ....................................................................................................... 82 Sophia Comer-Stiles ................................................................................................. 87 Sarah Eugene ............................................................................................................ 94 Janet Robinson .........................................................................................................