1Running head: COLLEGE STUDENT INTERVIEW AND NARRATIVE6COLLEGE STUDENT INTERVIEW AND NARRATIVE

College Student Interview and NarrativeRussell AivazianLoyola University Chicago

College Student Interview and NarrativeBecause of the changing landscape of the American higher education system, this is, arguably, one of the most fascinating times to be a student affairs researcher and practitioner. Levine and Dean (2012) and Renn and Reason (2013) have both made it clear that we must change the way in which we responded to students needs. Even in the last four years as an undergraduate, I have seen firsthand how diverse the college environment has become. This diversity stems most evidently from the way in which students present or identify in terms of race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status, to name a few. Indeed, this new landscape of higher education has allowed our students experiences to become more reflective of a changing national environment. However, there seems to be little attention paid to commuter students who attend a traditional four-year institution. For me, as a second-generation college student who lived on campus for all four years at Seattle University, I wanted to learn more about this population of students who commute to and from school on a daily basis. I chose to interview Stephanie Bernardo, a senior Mathematics and Secondary Education double major, for this project in order to better understand the college environment from a student who commuted to Loyola University Chicago during her freshman year. Educational Background and College ChoiceStephanie comes from a large immigrant family of five kids who live in a suburb on the outskirts of Chicago. As a freshman in high school, Stephanie attended school in an urban public school district and in a neighborhood that was Latino/a and low-income based. Stephanie described that gang violence and teenage pregnancies were prominent at her high school, which had its own day care center for the children whose parents were in school. During her first year at her neighborhood public school, she was encouraged to apply for a math and science public boarding school in Aurora, Illinois by one of her teachers. After being accepted to the program, Stephanie transferred prior to her sophomore year in high school. When asked about the experience at the boarding school, Stephanie noted that she felt an initial culture shock because there were not many students that came from her neighborhood. During her time at the school, she said that the experience was very much like college, exposing students to the workload, intensity, and rigor demanded of a college undergraduate. In addition to the coursework at the school, students had dedicated time for research and held internships each year they were in the program. Reflecting back on her experience, Stephanie said that the school developed skills that one would traditionally learn during the freshman year of college, specifically study and time management skills. Contributing Factors to College AttendanceOne of the most common themes that popped up in the interview was the role Stephanies family played in her decision to attend college. More specifically, Stephanie received a great deal of support from her parents, who moved to the United States in order to give their children the opportunity to go through the American college system. As Stephanie described it, to us education is really valued and that is just what I was expected to do. Attesting to the motivation Stephanies parents provided for their familys expectation of higher education, her older siblings have been actively pursuing higher learning. Currently, her older brother has entered the military and her older sister is an undergraduate at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Outside of the motivation received from her parents, Stephanie noted that the environment of her high school was another key factor in the decision to attend college. Even though it was a highly competitive environment, the norm in her high school was to attend college directly after graduation. When it came time for college selection, Stephanie noted that the culture at the school was extremely competitive and students were definitely judged by the colleges where they gained admission. As for many first-generation college students (Renn & Reason, 2013), Stephanies college choice was driven by the amount of financial aid received from each institution. Out of her three top university choicesNorthwestern, Emory, and LoyolaLoyola offered her the most financial aid; however, she would have to declare commuter status in order to make it feasible for her to go to college.Undergraduate ExperienceAfter being in a college-like environment for most of her high school experience, Stephanie described the experience of moving to commuter status as miserable. Not only did she commute a long distance every day to attend classes and work at her work-study positions, she felt like she was taking a step back, not a step forward in terms of her educational experience. In addition to the challenges associated with commuting, Stephanie often found it hard to relate to professors because of her student status. There were frequent connotations to the residence halls and activities on campus that went in one ear and out the other because it was hard to relate to the experiences of her fellow students who lived on campus. Specifically, her interactions with faculty and other students were limited because of her focus on her academics, work-study positions, and in the STARS program.As Stephanie described, she was in a lull for the first semester. Especially coming from a high school experience where there was a strong community, she found it hard to create that community on the Loyola campus. Her involvements with the STARS program through the Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (SDMA) office, however, provided her with a connection to the university and explore ways to get more involved on campus. The STARS program takes underrepresented students at Loyola and pairs them with a mentor in order to connect students to on and off campus resources in order to aid in their success while at Loyola. Stephanies mentor noticed the struggles Stephanie had with the adjustment to Loyola and, as Stephanie described, opened me up to what this university could offer me. Stephanie was also able to meet with and connect with students who had difficult times adjusting, which helped her to identify ways in which she could help the commuter community at Loyola. During her first year in the STARS program, Stephanie was connected to the Resident Assistant position on campus through the Office of Residence Life, which would allow her to live on campus. As a first-year RA in the freshmen residence halls, Stephanie noted that it took about a semester to adjust to the campus culture as well as the experience of living on campus. Because of the position, however, Stephanie was able to interact with the various campus partners and find ways to get involved on campus. Speaking to her amazing leadership skills and involvements on campus, Stephanie is a member of the Maroon and Gold society, which is an elite group of senior student leaders who have devoted their work to furthering the mission of Loyola. Reflections on Undergraduate ExperienceBecause of her involvement with the campus community, Stephanie said that she has gained more confidence throughout her undergraduate experience. Specifically for Loyola, she has enjoyed the ability to engage in the Jesuit way of reflection as well as gaining a deeper understanding of the university and its policies. Stephanies experience as a student at Loyola has inspired her to serve as a teacher and make an impact in the education field. As an educator, she said that she would like to empower students to develop a sense of agency. For Stephanie, empowerment is getting that approval from your own self. As she noted, some students may need mentorship and direction. However, students become more dedicated and take ownership of their educational experience when they realize that they can develop a sense of agency for themselves. Specifically for her time at Loyola, Stephanie wants to have closure on her experience before she graduates. Because of all of the support systems and leadership positions she has found on this campus, Stephanie specifically noted that she wants to take the time to really thank the people who contributed so much to my development. She definitely does not want their hard work to go unnoticed and wants them to know that they have made such an impact. Before she leaves, she also said that she would like to have imparted some impact on the community. Since being a commuter student during her freshmen year was incredibly impactful on her experience, we talked about ways in which Loyola could better serve the commuter population. Stephanie noted that there are other Jesuit universities (like Fordham) that have lounges and programming dedicated specifically to commuter students. There is also a RA like position for commuter students who are in charge of creating a community and creating programs; much like the experience students receive in residence halls. More specifically, Loyola could improve its outreach to commuter students by strengthening its Off-Campus Student Life Office. Stephanie noted that commuter students need one central hub at the university where students can utilize a lounge space with a community refrigerator, microwave, and television. As Stephanie noted, creating community spaces, like this, sends the message from the university that we know that you as a population exist and welcome you here. If she could give one piece of advice to students who have had a similar experience, she said that it is important for commuter students to take the time to ask questions while reaching out to peers and administrators in the university. Similarly, Stephanie noted that educators and administrators could take more time to understand commuter students experiences and value their opinions and contributions to the classroom.Personal ReflectionThrough the interview I had with Stephanie, I was really impacted by her level of maturity and commitment to the student experience. Since I have only been at Loyola for two months, it was very interesting to hear about Loyola from a student who had such a unique experience transition throughout her first year. My conversation with Stephanie made me reflect on how, as a student affairs educator, I could provide a community for commuter students on the campus and in the department where I may work. After the interview, I felt very lucky to have had this conversation with Stephanie because it inspired me to look more into the research and initiatives around commuter students on college campuses (specifically 4-year campuses). It is interesting that there has not been much emphasis on this area, even though commuter status is becoming a more popular option as college becomes more and more expensive. Finally, I felt like Stephanies ideas for commuter student inclusion on traditionally residential campuses were really feasible and could be something that the university can easily do to create community among our commuter students. Stephanies story is incredibly unique and really helped me to better understand the commuter and first-generation student experience.

ReferencesLevine, A., & Dean D. R. (2012). Generation on a tightrope: a portrait of todays college student. San Francisco: Jossey-BassRenn, K. A., & Reason, R. D. (2013). College students in the United States: characteristics, experiences, and outcomes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass