Transition to Higher Education: Narratives of Transfer Students from the U.S. Territories
Date
8-12-2020 11:35 AM
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine common themes that impact the university transition experience of aspiring underrepresented minority transfer students from U.S. territories (n=12). It is imperative that university institutions recognize the academic potential of students from U.S. territories, given that they are often an overlooked minority group with the potential to pursue careers that can be of service to developing minority communities within their islands that are in need of professional care. However, undergraduate transfer students from this background have received very little study. Quantitative and qualitative assessments were conducted to explore student perspectives on: (1) the motive behind their education, (2) perceptions of obstacles and strategies of overcoming them, (3) inclusivity factors of Portland State University, and (4) suggestions for a smoother and more efficient transfer student experience for students from the U.S. territories. Using individual narratives, the recommendations of the interviewed students will shed light on how they can be better supported in academic institutions.
Biographies
Ann Jeline Manabat
Major: Health Studies
Ann Jeline Manabat is majoring in Health Studies with a concentration in Clinical Health Sciences. She is from Saipan, a small island that is part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands archipelago. She is part of the Novel Interventions in Children’s Healthcare Lab and Behavioral Health Integration, Value, and Effectiveness Lab at Oregon Health and Science University. She is also a research assistant at the Institute of Aging at Portland State University. She is a McNair Scholar and was previously a BUILD EXITO scholar. She has undergone a summer fellowship program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for the Child Health Assessment in the Pacific, which is dedicated to developing a program in the Pacific region to monitor childhood nutrition and disease prevention. Her research interests include examining interventions for health disparities among medically and socially disadvantaged populations and integration of underrepresented minorities within systems-level organizations. She is continuing her BS degree in Clinical Health Science during the Fall of 2020 and in the future, she would like to obtain a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology with a Maternal and Child Health track to address public health concerns in Asian and Pacific Islander populations.
Faculty mentor: Dr. Alma Trinidad
Alma M. Ouanesisouk Trinidad, PhD, MSW is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Portland State University (PSU). As a first generation college graduate and professional, born and raised on the island of Molokai, Hawai’i with family roots of Filipino immigration through the sugar and pineapple industries, she describes her voyage of serving the people and community as becoming a Pinay (Filipina) scholar warrior and guardian of kapu aloha (sacred love)/mahalaya (love and freedom). She earned her PhD in social welfare from the University of Washington, Seattle, her MSW from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her BSW from the University of Hawai’i, Manoa. She is a macro social worker and scholar activist. She brings an array of scholarly work and practice in community development and organizing, policy analysis, organizational culture and processes, and collective impact in the areas of health promotion and education among diverse communities, and building strong children, youth, and families. Herscholarly work focuses on critical Indigenous pedagogy of place, youth empowerment, social determinants of health and education, youth and family participatory action research, social movements, and leadership and mentorship for social change. Other research and teaching interests include critical humanist design thinking, community practice, and culturally responsible research methods. Alma has passion for the arts, creative work, nature, and spirituality. Having mentored, informally and formally, youth to new colleagues in the field, Dr. Alma finds this work to be life changing and relational, always striving to build strong communities.
Disciplines
Education
Rights
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Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/33582
Transition to Higher Education: Narratives of Transfer Students from the U.S. Territories
The purpose of this study is to examine common themes that impact the university transition experience of aspiring underrepresented minority transfer students from U.S. territories (n=12). It is imperative that university institutions recognize the academic potential of students from U.S. territories, given that they are often an overlooked minority group with the potential to pursue careers that can be of service to developing minority communities within their islands that are in need of professional care. However, undergraduate transfer students from this background have received very little study. Quantitative and qualitative assessments were conducted to explore student perspectives on: (1) the motive behind their education, (2) perceptions of obstacles and strategies of overcoming them, (3) inclusivity factors of Portland State University, and (4) suggestions for a smoother and more efficient transfer student experience for students from the U.S. territories. Using individual narratives, the recommendations of the interviewed students will shed light on how they can be better supported in academic institutions.