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Abstract
Latino college students of first generation, immigrant, and low-income households experience various challenges impeding successful college application and transition processes toward becoming a college student. This underachievement between Latino students and positive postsecondary outcomes is an area of concern in higher education (Calaff, 2008). Through stories of lived experiences and meaning, Latino students in this qualitative study share their journeys from college access to campus environments in navigating a successful college transition. The application of Yossos (2005) Community Cultural Wealth and Museus (2104) Culturally Engaging Campus Environments Model frames this reflection on wealth capitals which serves to overcome inequities in the college access process and how campus environments provide opportunities for the validation of these strength-based capitals in adjusting to campus climates. The six participants included in this study attended four different institutions and included one sophomore, three juniors, one senior, and one recent graduate. Data were collected through a two-part semi-structured sit-down interview which incorporated the use of internet-based memes as a conversational icebreaker, followed by a participant-led campus walking tour interview targeting environmental components. After the co-construction of individual narratives, participant stories were overlapped with a mapping of the wealth capitals and environmental indicators of the two theoretical frameworks. Evident commonalities and the creation of a collective storyline reveal the following five overarching themes in the communal narrative: family as a constant source of emotional strength, lessons, and expectations; mentors and advisors as sources of wisdom and transition resources; a sense of identity in growing up Latino in the United States; supportive peers as the product of social relationships; and the skill of resiliency as a source of focus. Recognizing the transferability of this qualitative studys findings with a potential application to other Latino students navigating the college access and transition process, the following key implications were discussed: the importance of salient secondary identities; recognizing family as a source of strength; the intentional selection of Latino roommates; the impact of both Latino and non-Latino campus advocates; the role of Latino studies courses and identity-based assignments; how financial aid offices affect experiences; and the benefits from K-16 collaboration.