Gaining Cultural Capital For College Success Through Exposure
By Robert W. Andrews
I knew we were doing something right when Alberto
returned from the “Prologue” program at Bates College in Lewiston Maine
designed to recruit prospective students from diverse backgrounds. Alberto was
an incredible student leader in high school, charismatic, relaxed, open-minded
and bright, but convincing him that Maine would be a good place to go to
college was going to take a lot of effort. It was my first year working for the
Schuler Scholar Program and we had very few college students in New England and
certainly none in Maine. When he left for Lewiston, I was nervous because his
experience would impact other student’s perceptions. When he returned excited
to apply, I was thrilled. More important
was a comment he made to me talking about his experience at the program. It was
not only Bates’ welcoming community, but our “exposures” program that allowed
Alberto to feel that he “fit” at Bates.
Teresa Heinz Housel’s recent article “First-Generation
Students Need Help in Straddling Their Two Cultures” is a brilliant summary and
first person account of the challenges when joining a residential college campus, particularly a highly selective one. She describes the culture shock that many
students coming from low-income backgrounds face when most students come from upper-middle class culture. The majority of students on
these campuses have shared cultural experiences that provide a baseline for
conversations and expectations by peers and faculty. Professor Heinz Housel
describes a college experience that resonates with our Scholars experiences
today. One where issues of class and cultural expectations collide, creating a
precarious psychological experience for many first generation college students.
She explains:
“I found it
maddening to learn the cultural capital of academe, where rules were so often
unspoken. The stress of managing two cultures was especially frustrating during
my early college days, when I met classmates who took for granted an upbringing
that often included family vacations abroad, museum and symphony visits, music
camps, and familiarity with international cuisines. At once fascinated and
intimidated, I met accepting friends who introduced me to Indian food (among
others), independent films, art, and different religious philosophies. They
respected me for forging an uncharted path on my own.”
Professor Heinz Housel offers some suggestions for
institutions of higher education to help support students, but I’d like to suggest
that more can be done upfront, prior to students entering college. Secondary
educational institutions cannot be off the hook when preparing their students
for four year colleges. Graduating high school is not enough to have multiple
opportunities in a global world. Our students must have the goal of graduating
from a four year college. We know that to be successful, students must be
academically prepared, but there is growing evidence that much more is needed.
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| Scholars Explore the Costume Department at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada. |
When Alberto came back from Bates that fall, he told me
that when he was hanging out with students late at night in the dorms, the
conversation turned to musical theater and trips to Broadway. Without feeling
out of place, Alberto jumped into the conversation talking about his thoughts
on the musical Wicked, he had seen through our “exposures” program. It clicked
for Alberto. At that moment, he understood why we were dragging him and his
peers to see shows, visit museums, eat at a diverse array of restaurants and
reading books outside of assigned classwork. He asked me to thank Mr. Schuler
for the “exposure” programs because it allowed him to have a common set of
experiences with his new peers. Otherwise, he said, he would have sat in that
hallway feeling out of place. He may not have even applied to Bates. With the
“exposures,” he felt like he could “fit” at Bates even though he would be quite
different from most of his peers. He was armed with skills and experiences that
could connect him to the majority culture. Alberto has thrived at Bates. He
even served as Student Body President during his junior year. He clearly felt
like he “fit.”
Our “exposures” program is quite extensive and influences
most of our work. We believe that by exposing students to as many experiences,
academic, cultural and social, they will be better equipped to thrive both
academically and socially on a college campus. We know these experiences won’t take
away all the culture shock they will experience when going to college, but
hopefully it will soften the blow. Our hope is that students will be equipped
with enough common ground with their peers that they can make a deep connection
with their college community and know they belong.
To read more about our Exposure Program visit:
To read Professor Heinz Housel’s article visit:
To learn about other community based organizations
interested in college access visit:
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