Entering and Succeeding in the “Culture of College”: The Story of Two Mexican Heritage Students

Abstract

In this retrospective study, the academic resilience of two individuals of Mexican heritage who graduated from Stanford University is described. The respondents (a woman and a man) now in their early 20s came from home backgrounds of extreme impoverishment and adversity. By means of in-depth interviews the challenges the two respondents faced in school beginning in kindergarten and continuing through their graduation from Stanford is described. Both respondents attribute their academic success to the support given them by their mothers and their personal motivation to succeed in school; however, the authors show that this was also possible because the respondents acquired knowledge of the “culture of college” that is essential for the transition from high school to college. The authors describe the processes of this information transmission and how even though it changed the life of their respondents, it has not altered the life of their family.

Comparison of Alexithymia in Athlete and Non-Athlete Students

“…Exercise and physical activity are associated with increased positive aspects that are conditioned to respond and provide opportunities to reduce the negative impacts of threatening situations and antigenics (10). By creating an appropriate context to increase their sense of empowerment and self-worth (11), athletic people are able to reduce psychological, emotional and affective (e.g., alexithymia and its components) problems more so than nonathletic people.…”

“…Strohle (1996) showed that exercise and physical activity can reduce depression and anxiety (9). In Cabrera and Padilla's research (2004), it was shown that student athletes have relatively high emotional intelligence, which has a positive impact on their athletic performance (10). Cox (2002) stated that athletes have lower negative emotional states and higher vitality in comparison with nonathletes (11).…”

Full Issue 5(3)

“…Mucho más escasos son los estudios que se centran en la vida de los escolares a través de relatos realizados en tiempo presente (Cabrera & Padilla, 2004). Destacamos el trabajo de Nallely Garza (2013) sobre las narrativas de estudiantes de educación secundaria en México con diarios temáticos para lograr un mayor conocimiento de cómo los jóvenes manifiestan y describen su experiencia en esa etapa de formación.…”

What Makes a Difference For Resilient Students in Turkey?

“…These characteristics of resilient students are vital as it is believed that these factors can influence effective teaching and learning. Therefore, it is suggested that schools, parents, communities, and peers should promote these protective factors by providing supportive environments and opportunities to promote life skills and to take part in social life (Arastaman & Balci, 2013;Cabrera & Padilla, 2004;Dass-Brailsford 2005;Thornton, Collins & Daugherty, 2006;Pisapia & Westfall, 1994).…”