Circulación residual inducida por la marea

Education was a primary component to womanhood for these participants. Graduating high school and entering college were ambitions for all of participants. Some of the participants had very precise plans for where they would like to attend college and complete their post graduate education, such as Participant 3:

I will have graduated from the college of my dreams. I actually have quite a few. I would love to be accepted into the University of Denver, Harvard or Columbia to do law… I’m planning on going into law school right after (her undergraduate studies).

Education was a unified thought throughout each interview, and was truly encouraging for me to hear as the researcher. Participants 1, 2, 3, and 5 each had questions for me about college, as well as their parents. I spent an extensive amount of time speaking with each family about my education, and tried to answer as many questions as I could. However, conducting these interviews showed me as the researcher how much college focused youth programming is needed inner city schools and communities.

Graduating High School. Educational milestones, such as graduating was expressed by each Participant. During Participant 1’s interview, she said “I believe that the steps for me

becoming a Black woman would be first finishing off my high school education.” For Participant 1, womanhood was marked with education. In addition, Participant 3 discussed her educational background as follows; “when it got to like middle school, I had to work harder… I still continue to accomplish what I set my mind to.” She was determined to get a quality education during her middle and high school years, and was adamant about attending college. She was also preparing for the IB program, in her local school, which she desperately dreamed to be admitted to. Participant 3 went on to say, “I want to get degrees in college, and I want to graduate early from high school and college.” Participant 3 wanted to make her parents proud, and she believed graduating high school and college would be the ultimate thank you to her family.

The concept of educational milestones and accomplishments for these girls was a

communal perspective. Attaining a good job and being able to provide for themselves was a part of their dreams, but the largest emotional response was seen, when the participants spoke about how they could help their families and people in need, within their communities. Participant 3 shared this: “to see them (her parents) at my graduation…it’s one of my greatest

accomplishments (in the future).”

College/Post Graduate Education. Participant 3 asked what I would consider a loaded question, “What is it like in college… What is undergrad?” I could see the immense optimism in her face. She was beaming. I was happy to share with her positive experiences that I have had in college such as studying abroad and the wonderful people that I have been able to interact with;

however, I know that there are challenges that she might face in the future. I did not have the heart to tell her of the difficulties she might face, the culture shock that might occur, and how

some people may not respond to her skin color and race in a way that she may not be prepared for. Currently, all of the participants, including Participant 3, attend schools in predominantly African American neighborhoods. These participants live in an academic cultural bubble.

They live in a world right now, where Black History Month is celebrated every year, their teachers, principals, and school counselors look like them, and economic differences are not extremely pronounced. I encouraged Participant 3 to continue to do well in school and look forward to college, but I knew there were potential challenges that she could not see coming. I do not think that people feel like an outsider, until someone lets you know that you are. My dream for these young participants is that they will know that the ivory towers are filled with a rainbow of people, and they can be a valuable ray. Participant 1 came beaming into her interview, as she walked the halls of the William & Mary School of Education. While in aww as she envisioned her future educational pursuits, she said; “completing my degrees would be along the way, the road to finding myself as a person, as a Black female”..

Summary Interpretation

In summary, education was a major theme for each participant; however, Participant1 and Participant 3 spoke about education in great lengths. They were extremely optimistic about their educational pursuits. Participant 1 wants to become a lawyer. She mentioned how much she wanted to help people in need by becoming a lawyer. Participant 1 described being a civil rights lawyer, in the future, and she could not have been happier to have her interview at the college. In addition, Participant 3 was only 13 years old, and was already concerned about how her grades were impact college admission. She was ecstatic to ask me about college, during her interview.

Participant 3 wanted to be able to take care of her parents and siblings, and felt an education

would help her to do so. Her dream was to make her parents proud, and to see them at her

graduation. Education was a sense of hope for their futures and the future of others around them.