Lizett Silva
McNair Scholar 2024
- Major(s): Spanish (Computer Information Systems minor)
- Classification: Junior
- Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2025
- Career Aspirations: After attaining a bachelor's degree, Lizett plans to take a short break before starting graduate school.
“The best part of the McNair experience is the constant support you are given. It can feel overwhelming to pursue the idea of a graduate education, but throughout the program, I was taught to take pride in my accomplishments and to know that I deserve to be given a chance at pursuing higher education. It really inspired me to feel like I have the capabilities to be an outstanding professional.”
“Academic Challenges of First Gen: A Comprehensive Study”
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eduardo Huaytan-Martinez
As we move forward into a new academic semester each year, we can see trends of growth in the enrollment of Latino students across the country into higher education institutions. However, we can also see a higher trend in dropout rates within this population, which begs the question as to what could be causing such disparities. In truth, many institutions with high enrollment rates of Latino students do not know how to increase retention at their institutions. This study seeks to find common challenges that these students are likely to face before, during, and after college to analyze possible solutions to common misconceptions/problems. Moreover, it examines how there are still racial and economic disparities that could prevent students from forming a "college-going" identity, therefore making it hard for them to persist until graduation. It also analyzes the mental health concerns involved with pursuing a college education that could negatively affect the college experience for this vulnerable population.