‘Beating the Odds,’ and Making Their Way in University: The Case of Three Females of Immigrant Parents

Abstract

This article explores the experiences, perceptions, and aspirations of three marginalized female university students. Their admission was facilitated by an access program designed to support the participation of young people who, while meeting entrance requirements, would otherwise not be able to attend university because of their social and financial circumstances. We explore how gender, race, and generational/ immigrant status function in the educational experiences of these students and how they negotiated the structural barriers that stood in the way of their educational aspirations. The stories of the three students reflect the complex relationship between their optimism, conviction, and sense of accomplishment, and their doubts, fears, and struggles as related to institutional demands and parental expectations. Aware of the opportunity structures that exist within the society, and seemingly committed to meritocratic ideals, they remain hopeful that those structures will facilitate them achieving the rewards they believe postsecondary education can make possible.

I Really Wasn’t Ready: Expectations and Dilemmas of a University Student in an Access Access Program

“…Having met these expectations, it is possible that Ewart reasoned that he would have been able to turn his attention to getting the education he needed to fulfill his obligation and commitment to his mother, other family members, and the "Black gentleman" who admonished him to return to school (familial capital 5 ) -as is often the case with racialized minority children especially those of immigrant parents (see James & Taylor, 2008;López, 2002;Yosso, 2007). It is poignant that…”

“…A more recent study by James and Taylor (2008) reveal that students seek out postsecondary education because they believe in the promise of meritocracy and that that education will provide them with opportunities as long as they are able to "get in". However, as James and Taylor (2008) point out with reference to marginalized and racialized students, sometimes education only gets you so far or, as one student put it, it only gets you "to the station" -that is entry into university, but once there, there are the enduring racializing and marginalizing structures that will have to be negotiated, and which first generation university students may not be familiar with, prepared or equipped for.…”

“…However, as James and Taylor (2008) point out with reference to marginalized and racialized students, sometimes education only gets you so far or, as one student put it, it only gets you "to the station" -that is entry into university, but once there, there are the enduring racializing and marginalizing structures that will have to be negotiated, and which first generation university students may not be familiar with, prepared or equipped for. This situation sometimes or often leads to disengagement -in other words the beginning of the dropout process.…”

Access and Equity in Ontario Teacher Education: Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions

“…Having a representative program is not the same as having an accessible and equitable program, however. As James and Taylor (2008) caution, "marginalized students who gain entry to university do so at a great cost since they are likely to experience racism, classism, sexism, marginalization, and discrimination" (p. 223). Beyond measuring who is in our programs, teacher educators must also examine how underrepresented groups experiences those programs once they have been admitted.…”

“…Although a diverse teaching force supports both student outcomes and teacher retention (Farinde, LeBlanc, & Otten, 2015;Solomon, 1997;Villegas & Irvine, 2010), various groupsincluding first-generation students, students with disabilities, students of Aboriginal descent, and other racialized minorities 1 -remain underrepresented or poorly tracked in many teacher education programs (Holden & Kitchen, 2018). Moreover, although many teacher education programs articulate a commitment to equity (Crocker & Dibbon, 2008), less is known how students from underrepresented groups experience equity issues in our programs (see James & Taylor, 2008; and the Ontario Alliance of Black School Educators [ONABSE], 2015 for important exceptions). These gaps reinforce concerns that teacher education programs are comprised of predominantly white, middle-class, able-bodied, heteronormative students (DeLuca, 2015;Solomon, Portelli, Daniel, & Campbell, 2005).…”