Date of Award
Spring 5-15-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Dr. Kabba E. Colley
Second Advisor
Dr. Patricia Crain de Galarce
Third Advisor
Dr. Lorna Rivera
Abstract
ABSTRACT
This is a concurrent mixed methods study that examines the factors and experiences of Brown (Latino/x) and Black male students enrolled in community college (CC) and their higher education success. The following research questions guided the study: what factors contribute to these male CC students’ successes? What experiences contribute to these male CC students’ successes? How do these male students make meaning of their experiences with CC college stakeholders during their success journey? An asset-based integrated conceptual framework was developed to better understand relevant demographics, other factors, and the students experiences with college professionals and peer student workers contribution to their success in college. These factors and lived experiences were contextually situated through insights from scholarly literature focused on asset-based perspectives and college experiences with these aforementioned stakeholders. Secondary data and interview data collected in October 2025 were reviewed and analyzed for the study. A purposeful sampling identified ten Brown (Latino/x) and Black male CC adult student participants for the virtual audio recorded interviews. The identified factors that contributed to these male CC students’ successes included stakeholders’ demographic attributes (gender, race, ethnicity, education level, age) and functional roles (staff, faculty, administrators) in relation to students’ satisfaction with their college experiences through contingency analysis and chi-square test. The experiences students highlighted as contributing to their college successes with college professionals, differentiated by institutional roles were centered on codes and categories that unveiled five core “kinds” of experiences such as “welcoming” and “responsive,” and eight salient themes distinguished by context specific campus work and contributions such as “relevant connections” and “a sense of belonging” to name a few. The implications for policy, practice, and research emphasize the value of students input, multi-prong professional development approaches for college education stakeholders, and multi-level frameworks for research informed by asset-based perspectives. Recommendations for future research opportunities by scholars and practitioners interested in the sample of students under study are offered.
Keywords: Brown, Latino/x, Black, Male Students, Community College, Demographics, Student Experiences, Campus Stakeholders, Student Success, Developmental Health, Cultural Wealth, Equity Mindfulness, Concurrent Mixed-Methods, Secondary Data, Phenomenology.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Maynard, Carlos L., "Yes, We Can: Understanding the Experiences of Brown (Latino/x) and Black Male Students Success at Community Colleges" (2026). Educational Studies Dissertations. 20.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/educational_studies_dissertations/20
