Conference

Overcoming Undercoming: Career Challenges for Students of Color and First Generation College Students

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Abstract

While the cost of attending college is rising each year, the delayed cost of not going to college is rising as well. In 2013, young adults aged 25-32 with a bachelor’s degree or higher on average made more than $15,000 a year more than those with an associate’s degree or lower. The economic benefits of a college degree are innumerable; however, the benefits across fields of study are not equal. Engineering majors earn an average of 1.6 million dollars more across their lifetime than education majors. To further complicate the inequalities, students of color and first generation college students are underrepresented in higher education as a whole, and even less represented in high earning career paths (e.g., STEM majors). The barriers of entering high-earning careers are compounded by significant struggles in career decision and planning compared to their majority counterparts. A variety of factors including available resources, mentorship, self efficacy, career knowledge, and college readiness influence students’ major, career choice, and even success. This session will explore basic trends in career choices for students of color and first generation college students, the barriers they face, and both individual and systemic interventions to aid these students.