Abstract
This is a case about Linda, a recently divorced, indigenous first-generation college student. She has been guiding herself through her academic program because she did not trust her previous academic and career advisor Dr. Anne Whatley. Linda now has an appointment with Nancy Whitehead, her new advisor. Linda is unhappy with her current major though she is doing well in her classes. She needs to decide if she will stay with the major, but this is complicated because she has changed her major several times. She has interests that are not congruent with her current major.
Keywords: Indigenous, first-generation, lack of trust
Primary Characters
Linda (she, her, hers) is a recently divorced low-income indigenous woman. She has no trust in the academic and career advising office. She believes that her former advisor discriminated against her due to her heritage. She only worked for a few years and stayed home with her young children and has now returned to school to complete her education.
Nancy Whitehead (she, her, hers) is a white woman with a middle-class background. She is a seasoned academic advisor with a master’s degree in social work. Nancy was just hired to replace Linda’s previous advisor, but she has only worked in a small elite predominantly white institution.
Context and Case
Linda is a 26-year-old indigenous female who graduated high school at seventeen with a 3.82 GPA. She is a first-generation college student in a small liberal art public university in the southeastern United States who has returned to complete a degree she left eight years ago. She married her high school sweetheart, Tom who joined the United States Army immediately after their high school graduation. She dropped her classes while majoring in drama in a four-year institution because Tom told her that it was a waste of time. Instead, she decided to pursue cosmetology in a community college. Upon graduation, she worked in a dermatologist’s office doing aesthetics. These skills helped her earn a small income as she travelled around the world due to Tom’s military postings.
They have two daughters, and Linda is recently divorced. She is raising her daughters alone because Tom has no interest in the girls. She has some family support from her parents who own an animal feed store, younger brother and sister, and Tom’s parents. Her parents’ flexible schedule allows them to assist with school pickups when she needs them to because they are proud of her and want her to stay focused in school. They also chose this major for her because they believe that she will be guaranteed a job upon graduation. cannot wait for her to graduate since she will be the first college graduate in their family and so that she can begin to earn a proper living. They do not support her poetry performances.
Her daughters miss their dad, but Linda’s efforts to get him to be a responsible father have been ignored. This depresses her when she sees how dedicated her sister’s husband is to his little girl. Linda noted that her previous advisor Dr. Whatley was always very impatient and dismissive with her and never gave her the time and acknowledgement that she gave her other advisees who did not look like her. Linda cannot relate with anyone at the center, and her previous experience is why she does not trust the advisors. However, she has decided to go to this appointment because she has been referred to Nancy, a new academic and career counselor, by her friend who told her that she benefited from an interaction with Nancy earlier that semester.
Linda is motivated to finish her degree to be a positive example for her daughters; however, she has changed her major a few times. Linda’s current major is Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT), and she chose it because her parents want her to have job security. She has stellar grades, but she is not looking forward to doing this type of work.
During her appointment, Linda tells her advisor she is a poet and loves to perform. She also tells her that she is self-published using Amazon as her sales outlet and loves modeling and make-up as well as volunteering in the community with causes to support women. She also wants a career that will allow her time with her daughters and provide for them. Many years ago, she loved and dreamed of a career on stage and could still pursue it now that her husband is gone but she has given up on that ambition due to her parental obligations. She does not see herself working behind the scenes because she will be bored since she likes to socialize. However, as a highly motivated individual, she believes in a positive outcome for what she ultimately decides.
At the appointment, even though Nancy has never worked with a diverse student body, her caring nature makes her inquire about how Linda is coping with school, work, and her children. Linda tells her she is always tired and exhausted because she works round the clock, either studying or working, and cannot keep up with the kids. She is sad and breaks down crying saying that she cannot attend all her daughters’ soccer games and school meetings because of her own classes. Linda also shares her concerns about not getting many poetry opportunities because of her gender and race.
Nancy: Looking at your grades, you are doing very well in your classes.
Linda: Thank you.
Nancy: Based on everything that you have told me, is there any reason you would not want to pursue a business minor?
Linda: I am not sure. How will that help me if I finish the MLT program?
Nancy: You will be able to manage your side business should you decide to pursue writing or theatre full time.
Linda: I never thought of that. But I have dreamt of owning my own cosmetic line. What will my schedule look like and how will this fit in with my clinicals?
Nancy: First thing is I recommend that you visit Ms. Jessica at the Financial Aid office to discuss your financial aid situation. Since you have taken a lot of classes, your aid package could be affected.
Next, I want you to write down 10 things that you love, appreciate, and enjoy doing with your time and where you see yourself five years after graduation. I also want you to take a career assessment. This test will help you learn more about your personal interests and careers that match your interests. I will send you a link for the assessment. We will follow-up in two weeks.
Linda: Thank you so much for your help. I will be back in two weeks.
Discussion Questions
- What career and student development theories might help in understanding Linda’s career dilemma?
- What other interventions (beyond those already suggested by Nancy) might be effective to help Linda with her career exploration and decision making?
- How may Nancy help Linda take care of non-academic needs so that she can handle her diverse issues?
- How does Nancy’s multiculturalism assist in the relationship with Linda?
Author Bio
MarySheila Ebri (she, her, hers) is currently pursuing a master’s degree in academic advising at Kansas State University. She has worked in Higher Education for over 19 years in various roles. She is currently employed as the Transfer Student Specialist at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.