Abstract
Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study is to examine attending higher education impacts the development of new identities, educational and career goals as well as shapes family relationships. Although Latinas are increasing their attendance on college campuses there is still a lack of knowledge available to Latinas who are planning on furthering their education. Currently available research is focused on external changes experienced by Latina students, which leaves a gap for research on internal changes experienced by Latinas while in college. Attending college legitimizes Latinas voices by providing academic research that centers their unique gendered experiences (Cammarota, 2004). Although Latinas are attending college much more frequently, many are still first generation students who do not have someone to refer to for college advice (Gloria & Castellanos, 2012). Latinas are forced to navigate the changes that come with interacting between two cultures, the home and the college culture. The pressures encourage Latinas to become independent while still managing home expectations (Sy & Romero, 2008). There is still a lot to learn from the experiences of Latinas in higher education. Sources of Data Six Latinas enrolled in a higher education institution were interviewed using the semi-structure interview while implementing aspects of the testimonio. The study was qualitative as it allowed the researcher to go deeper with respondents’ experiences. The research questions analyzed whether the participants developed feminist identities, whether those impacted family relationships and whether attending college impacted their educational and career aspirations. Conclusions Reached The participants’ feminist identities were influenced by the women centered courses they took while in college. The newly developed feminist identity caused tensions between the participants and their parents. The tensions were more persistent among the participants and their fathers when expressing new views on gender roles. Their experiences balancing their new identities with old ideas guided their majors and career choices. Furthermore, most of the participants were interested in careers that would allow them to help their others.