On Firm Foundations: African American Black College Graduates and their Doctoral Student Development in the Ivy League

Abstract

As a researcher in the area of graduate student development, I am often intrigued by the experiences of students who travail the doctoral process successfully, especially those who have received degrees from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). As both an African American doctoral degree holder and a baccalaureate degree recipient from a historically Black university, I am familiar with both experiences. I have also listened to the experiences of African American mentors and colleagues who have endured similar experiences and shared with me their stories of success. I find these stories to be remarkably informative. These experiences not only exemplify the will and determination needed to achieve academic success, but they also provide lessons of endurance associated with academic persistence, and can inform the higher education community about success at the doctoral level.