The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between women’s (co)curricular student involvement in college and their career outcomes in technology startups. This study focused on the ways in which past student involvement shaped women’s future career aspirations and helped them navigate their present career situations to achieve success. The study extended Astin’s Student Involvement Theory by considering how student involvement impacted career outcomes.
The qualitative methodology incorporated nine semi-structured interviews with recent college graduates turned professional women in startups working in the San Francisco Bay Area. The interviews were transcribed and coded for themes and analyzed using textual and qualitative content analysis. While the findings were limited, the study revealed (co)curricular contributors to career aspirations included peer groups, club sports, and faculty relationships. The most powerful contributors, though not formally part of higher education itself, were parental influences and internships. Career services, with the exception of career fairs, were a non-contributor to career aspirations. As related to career navigation strategies, sorority membership, student government experience, and again, internships were important contributors to acquiring navigation skills and strategies. The participants listed general education courses as the least helpful contributor toward career navigation, although some major coursework and classes that included project or lab work, were noted as helpful.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between women’s (co)curricular student involvement in college and their career outcomes in technology startups. This study focused on the ways in which past student involvement shaped women’s future career aspirations and helped them navigate their present career situations to achieve success. The study extended Astin’s Student Involvement Theory by considering how student involvement impacted career outcomes.</p> <p>The qualitative methodology incorporated nine semi-structured interviews with recent college graduates turned professional women in startups working in the San Francisco Bay Area. The interviews were transcribed and coded for themes and analyzed using textual and qualitative content analysis. While the findings were limited, the study revealed (co)curricular contributors to career aspirations included peer groups, club sports, and faculty relationships. The most powerful contributors, though not formally part of higher education itself, were parental influences and internships. Career services, with the exception of career fairs, were a non-contributor to career aspirations. As related to career navigation strategies, sorority membership, student government experience, and again, internships were important contributors to acquiring navigation skills and strategies. The participants listed general education courses as the least helpful contributor toward career navigation, although some major coursework and classes that included project or lab work, were noted as helpful.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Doshay, Heather"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Leadership Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Christopher Thomas","Genevieve Negron-Gonzales","Patricia Mitchell"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:43:17Z","subjects":["Aspirations","Careers","Career Services","Student Involvement","Women","Higher Education","Organizational Behavior and Theory","Women's Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/289","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Christopher Thomas","Genevieve Negron-Gonzales","Patricia Mitchell"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Doshay, Heather"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-09-09T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Leadership Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Aspirations","Careers","Career Services","Student Involvement","Women","Higher Education","Organizational Behavior and Theory","Women's Studies"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/289"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between women’s (co)curricular student involvement in college and their career outcomes in technology startups. This study focused on the ways in which past student involvement shaped women’s future career aspirations and helped them navigate their present career situations to achieve success. The study extended Astin’s Student Involvement Theory by considering how student involvement impacted career outcomes.
The qualitative methodology incorporated nine semi-structured interviews with recent college graduates turned professional women in startups working in the San Francisco Bay Area. The interviews were transcribed and coded for themes and analyzed using textual and qualitative content analysis. While the findings were limited, the study revealed (co)curricular contributors to career aspirations included peer groups, club sports, and faculty relationships. The most powerful contributors, though not formally part of higher education itself, were parental influences and internships. Career services, with the exception of career fairs, were a non-contributor to career aspirations. As related to career navigation strategies, sorority membership, student government experience, and again, internships were important contributors to acquiring navigation skills and strategies. The participants listed general education courses as the least helpful contributor toward career navigation, although some major coursework and classes that included project or lab work, were noted as helpful.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["How Women’s College Student Involvement Contributes to Their Career Aspirations and Navigation for Success in Technology Startup Organizations"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Christopher Thomas","Genevieve Negron-Gonzales","Patricia Mitchell"],"dc:creator":["Doshay, Heather"],"dc:date.available":["2015-09-09T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between women’s (co)curricular student involvement in college and their career outcomes in technology startups. This study focused on the ways in which past student involvement shaped women’s future career aspirations and helped them navigate their present career situations to achieve success. The study extended Astin’s Student Involvement Theory by considering how student involvement impacted career outcomes.
The qualitative methodology incorporated nine semi-structured interviews with recent college graduates turned professional women in startups working in the San Francisco Bay Area. The interviews were transcribed and coded for themes and analyzed using textual and qualitative content analysis. While the findings were limited, the study revealed (co)curricular contributors to career aspirations included peer groups, club sports, and faculty relationships. The most powerful contributors, though not formally part of higher education itself, were parental influences and internships. Career services, with the exception of career fairs, were a non-contributor to career aspirations. As related to career navigation strategies, sorority membership, student government experience, and again, internships were important contributors to acquiring navigation skills and strategies. The participants listed general education courses as the least helpful contributor toward career navigation, although some major coursework and classes that included project or lab work, were noted as helpful.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/289"],"dc:subject":["Aspirations","Careers","Career Services","Student Involvement","Women","Higher Education","Organizational Behavior and Theory","Women's Studies"],"dc:title":["How Women’s College Student Involvement Contributes to Their Career Aspirations and Navigation for Success in Technology Startup Organizations"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Leadership Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:43:17Z"}