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The Out-Of-Classroom Engagement Experiences Of First-Generation College Students That Impact Persistence, Sherolyn Hopkins, Jamie L. Workman, William Truby

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs

This article is the result of research conducted with first-generation upper-class college students enrolled at a comprehensive university in Georgia. The researcher sought to answer the following research question: How do first-generation college students perceive the impact of out-of-classroom engagement experiences on persistence?

Participants were selected based on a purposeful sampling technique. The researcher utilized a qualitative interpretive approach and collected data via individual interviews and a focus group. The researcher was able to organize the rich data into themes. The article concludes with implications for student affairs professionals and future research on first-generation college students.

Keywords: first-generation college students, …