{"id":{"repo_id":"buffalo","oai_identifier":"oai:ubir.buffalo.edu:10477/86449"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/buffalo/oai:ubir.buffalo.edu:10477/86449","repository":{"repo_id":"buffalo","name":"Buffalo","base_url":"https://ubir.buffalo.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"\"Finding My Own Way\": Exploring the Academic Experiences of First-Generation College Students through Stories of Success","abstract":"Ph.D.","abstract_html":"Ph.D.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Pytlak-Surdyke, Marissa; 0000-0002-5551-8013"],"institution":"State University of New York at Buffalo","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Schindel, Alexandra","Learning and Instruction"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-02-21T17:22:32Z","date_published":"2025-02-21T17:22:32Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:05:32Z","subjects":["educational sociology","higher education"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["Users of works found in University at Buffalo Institutional Repository (UBIR) are responsible for identifying and contacting the copyright owner for permission to reuse. University at Buffalo Libraries do not manage rights for copyright-protected works and cannot assist with permissions.","Copyright retained by author."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10477/86449","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Schindel, Alexandra","Learning and Instruction"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Pytlak-Surdyke, Marissa; 0000-0002-5551-8013"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2025-02-21T17:22:32Z","2020"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["State University of New York at Buffalo"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Text","Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["educational sociology","higher education"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Users of works found in University at Buffalo Institutional Repository (UBIR) are responsible for identifying and contacting the copyright owner for permission to reuse. University at Buffalo Libraries do not manage rights for copyright-protected works and cannot assist with permissions.","Copyright retained by author."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10477/86449"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Ph.D.","The purpose of this qualitative interview study is to explore the experiences of first-generation college students (FGCS) through a unique perspective, specifically, through stories of success. While the majority of research surrounding first-generation college students frames their experiences from a deficit perspective, this study highlights the experiences of FGCS who are successful completers of postsecondary education and are now pursuing graduate education in a variety of disciplines. The in-depth interviews of eighteen \"successful\" FGCS were analyzed to reveal the challenges, opportunities, motivations and successes these students experienced during their time as undergraduates at a very competitive, R1, university. Student narratives reveal their perceptions of how identifying as a FGCS has impacted their academic experience, the factors that helped facilitate their success, and the advice they would give to incoming FGCS. Additionally, tensions emerged as students negotiated their evolving identities as college students, which reveal gender, class and race implications. Findings are framed through three theoretical frameworks: Social Construction, Social Capital and Cultural Capital. Following the discussion of findings, practical implications and advice for first-generation college students, faculty and the University are offered.","**To request an accessible version of the file(s) associated with this item, contact library@buffalo.edu. Please include the item's persistent URL [http://hdl.handle.net/. . .] in your request.**"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["\"Finding My Own Way\": Exploring the Academic Experiences of First-Generation College Students through Stories of Success"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Schindel, Alexandra","Learning and Instruction"],"dc:creator":["Pytlak-Surdyke, Marissa; 0000-0002-5551-8013"],"dc:date":["2025-02-21T17:22:32Z","2020"],"dc:description":["Ph.D.","The purpose of this qualitative interview study is to explore the experiences of first-generation college students (FGCS) through a unique perspective, specifically, through stories of success. While the majority of research surrounding first-generation college students frames their experiences from a deficit perspective, this study highlights the experiences of FGCS who are successful completers of postsecondary education and are now pursuing graduate education in a variety of disciplines. The in-depth interviews of eighteen \"successful\" FGCS were analyzed to reveal the challenges, opportunities, motivations and successes these students experienced during their time as undergraduates at a very competitive, R1, university. Student narratives reveal their perceptions of how identifying as a FGCS has impacted their academic experience, the factors that helped facilitate their success, and the advice they would give to incoming FGCS. Additionally, tensions emerged as students negotiated their evolving identities as college students, which reveal gender, class and race implications. Findings are framed through three theoretical frameworks: Social Construction, Social Capital and Cultural Capital. Following the discussion of findings, practical implications and advice for first-generation college students, faculty and the University are offered.","**To request an accessible version of the file(s) associated with this item, contact library@buffalo.edu. Please include the item's persistent URL [http://hdl.handle.net/. . .] in your request.**"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["http://hdl.handle.net/10477/86449"],"dc:language":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["State University of New York at Buffalo"],"dc:rights":["Users of works found in University at Buffalo Institutional Repository (UBIR) are responsible for identifying and contacting the copyright owner for permission to reuse. University at Buffalo Libraries do not manage rights for copyright-protected works and cannot assist with permissions.","Copyright retained by author."],"dc:subject":["educational sociology","higher education"],"dc:title":["\"Finding My Own Way\": Exploring the Academic Experiences of First-Generation College Students through Stories of Success"],"dc:type":["Text","Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:05:32Z"}