Hispanic students’ attainment of bachelor’s degrees has increased 6.4% since 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (2023). Despite a rapid growth in Hispanic students attaining a Baccalaureate degree, this statistic does not continue at the Graduate level. As mentioned in the Bureau’s report (2023), Hispanic students only make up 5.5% of the total Graduate student population in the United States up until 2022. The purpose of this study is to examine the challenges Hispanic students have faced in their academic careers, and how their perceptions of success might be an impactful factor of not pursuing a Graduate education.

This ethnographic qualitative study observed low-income Hispanic former dual-enrollment students at a higher education institution in South Texas and analyzed their personal definition of success, along with how they define the American Dream. Through a case-study model, the relation between the subjects' personal definition of success and the influence of family values on their achievements was evaluated.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Chernosky

Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling