Abstract
Single parenting is a prevalent occurrence in contemporary family structures and has been thoroughly examined by researchers in a variety of different fields and facets of life. This family structure has continued to grow, particularly among the Latino community in the United States. Single mothers confront various obstacles when it comes to successfully raising their children, but some have succeeded in raising academically successful children. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the lived experiences of Latina single mothers who raised academically successful children, defined as those who graduated from high school. Interviews with 30 Latina single mothers were performed using a phenomenological qualitative design. Bronfenbrenner (1979) Ecological System Theory and the Family Resilience Framework (Walsh, 2017) served as the theoretical framework for this study. The findings revealed themes that captured the internal and external experiences these mothers faced, the strategies they use to raise resilient children, the challenges they faced navigating the school system to support their children and, finally, the supports that aided them in raising academically successful children. The findings indicate that, despite the difficulties faced by Latina single mothers, they were able to apply strategies and actions that to help them provide a better future for their children.