Date of Award
12-1-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ed.D. in Education
First Advisor
George S. McClellan
Second Advisor
David Rock
Third Advisor
Amy E. Wells Dolan
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Youth who have experienced the foster care system are an underserved student population in higher education. While higher education is an important pathway to upward mobility and civic participation, foster youth consistently face systemic barriers such as unstable placements, limited financial resources, and a lack of consistent adult guidance, resulting in significantly lower rates of college enrollment and degree attainment compared to their peers (Courtney & Okpych, 2020; Salazar, 2013). This three-manuscript dissertation investigates the challenges that youth who have experienced foster care face and the factors that influence them to pursue enrollment in four-year universities in Illinois, while also considering how leadership can be exercised to address the existing inequities.
Manuscript 1 establishes the historical, social, and educational context of foster care, reviewing the barriers to college access and persistence while also highlighting state and federal programs designed to support youth in care. Drawing upon Resilience Theory (Masten, 2014) and Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) (Yosso, 2005), the manuscript frames foster youth as possessing adaptive strengths and networks that can be leveraged to support their success. Manuscript 2 details the qualitative methodology employed, using semi-structured interviews with foster youth currently enrolled in Illinois universities to examine how their decision-making processes, supports, and challenges inform their pathways to higher education. Guided by thematic analysis, this approach prioritizes participant voice, ethical integrity, and methodological rigor (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Creswell & Poth, 2018).
Manuscript 3 discusses my chosen leadership style, which is transformational leadership. Transformational leadership was chosen due to it being the most suitable guiding model for systemic change. This manuscript emphasizes the role I will take on as administrator in higher education to lead around this issue, where I’ll collaborate with leaders within my respective institution, state agencies, and community organizations to develop intentional pathways of belonging and support for those who have experienced foster care. Taken together, the three manuscripts contribute to scholarly literature, inform institutional policy, and provide a leadership blueprint for addressing long-standing inequities in college access and persistence for youth from foster care backgrounds.
Recommended Citation
Blue, John William, "A Road Less Traveled: Exploring the Motivators Influencing College Enrollment Decisions Among Youth Who Have Experienced Foster Care" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3504.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3504