NAVIGATING UNCERTAINTY: LIVED EXPERIENCES of TRIO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS DURING the COVID-19 PANDEMIC

ABSTRACTThis study, Navigating Uncertainty: Lived Experiences of TRIO Undergraduate Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic, explored the lived experiences of 9 TRIO Student Support Students (low-income, first-generation) who persisted in college during COVID-19. A basic interpretive, qualitative approach was used for this research. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews of students attending a public university. The analysis of the data exposed three overarching themes emerged: (a) stress and a sense of the unknown; (b) social experiences, including the importance of personal connections, and (c) TRIO SSS support during COVID-19, with the belief that TRIO played a role in their support and ultimate success. The core finding from this study is that TRIO SSS assisted TRIO participants in persisting during COVID even with the attack from a global pandemic. This unique experience to talk with students about real the experiences during COVID provided an eye-opening experience for me on how bad things were for many students especially underrepresented students. My research can serve as a foundation to further explore the impact of COVID-19 on students’ persistence and retention and assist with plans for the next pandemic and give insight into the underrepresented students and how institutions can support them.