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High school students from low-income backgrounds experience academic under-preparedness, financial distress, and socialization challenges when entering college. For these students, challenges may begin in the K-12 setting, where this population is more likely to face limitations in college counseling, lack highly qualified teachers, and have limited access to college programs. First generation college students are less likely to pursue and persist in higher education than their peers with different backgrounds (OECD, 2012). Because of this, low-income students may seek out or be invited to join supplemental programs, including summer bridge and afterschool programs, to help them become college ready. The research explores the main component of transitional academic support within a specific program. The study also describes how various stakeholders in precollege programming promote student persistence to and through college. This qualitative study utilizes a single case study approach using semi-structured interviews and an analysis of the program website. The resultant data illustrates the student supports, delivery methods, and culturally relevant pedagogy used within the program. As seen in the findings of this study, relationships and team collaboration is important to maintain academic preparedness and cultural relevant instruction. This study adds to the growing body of literature on associations between after school college preparation programs and collegiate success, specifically from the perspectives of designers and implementers of after school programs (Tichavakunda, 2019). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Research supports the idea that low-income Black and Brown students are prone to higher suspension rates and are more likely to be labeled "troublemakers" for exhibiting the same behaviors as their White peers (Morgan, 2021). Middle school (6-8th grade) is an essential time, particularly for Black and Brown students, because they face many challenges during this period (Duong et al., 2019). Teachers building relationships with Black and Brown middle school students from low-income households is more likely to result in the students improving their grades and attendance and feeling like they belong in school. This extended literature review synthesizes the literature to examine the challenges to teacher-student relationship building and strategies to overcome these challenges. Building relationships with students of color can be difficult for teachers with implicit biases, which can affect how they discipline students. There are measures that schools can take to help establish a positive school culture and student-teacher relationships, such as restorative justice (RJ) and positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS). Implementing RJ and PBIS helps prevent the school-to-prison pipeline, mostly affecting low-income Black and Brown students. Additionally, teachers experiencing compassion fatigue can also lead to a failure in establishing positive relationships with students, as it can be emotionally draining for the teacher. Furthermore, some teachers may be more inclined to build relationships with students they share similarities with than with those who are different from them. Literature suggests ways teachers can build relationships with students, such as greeting students at the door, using the two-by-ten method, and praising students. This extended literature review enhances our understanding of the importance of building relationships with Black and Brown low-income students, which can lead to increased attendance and academic success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Since the advent of the standardized movement in education, there has been a plethora of research pertaining to the characteristics of successful schools. Even more so, studies have consistently been trying to investigate if there is a proverbial gold standard of what encompasses successful school improvement in low-income communities serving minority students. Complementary to this endeavor, types of school leadership have also been examined to see if there are common trends and themes for school leaders within the studied communities. In the past thirty years, three leadership types have been marked as influential: instructional, transformational, and distributed leadership. This mixed-methods case study attempted to look at these leadership types in an interconnected fashion, by amalgamating instructional and transformational leadership as one construct (i.e., integrated leadership; Marks & Printy, 2003) and using distributed leadership as a process variable--thus showcasing how distributed leadership actualizes an integrated leadership model. Two high-performing elementary schools in New York City, residing in predominately low-income minority communities, were purposely selected. Using a reconceptualized survey, the Distributed Integrated Leadership Survey (DILS), as well as qualitative factors (i.e., open-ended responses, public records), this study had the following overarching goals: to investigate the degree to which integrated and distributed leadership manifest within the studied schools and to gauge the relationship between distributed leadership and an integrated model. Quantitative and qualitative results from this study elicited that successful school leadership is not a monolithic construct, but rather an amalgamation of motivational, instructional, and distributed factors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Transparent design has been promoted as a teaching pedagogy to promote student success, especially among marginalized student populations. This study seeks to understand the impact of participation in a transparently designed course on low-income students self-reported levels of academic self-efficacy and employer-valued skills in Washington state. This research furthers the understanding of low-income student success on campus while also providing a rigorous independent review of the Transparency in Learning and Teaching initiative's (TILT) findings. The study uses data previously collected by the Washington State TILT Higher Ed research team in the Spring 2019 semester ("n" = 395) through a pre- and post- test survey methodology. Using a repeated measure ANOVA, results are compared by group (low-income and not-low-income) for a change in means over time and the interaction of both time and group. The findings of the study indicate that transparent design does not have an effect on the development of academic self-efficacy or a meaningful impact on the development of employer-valued skills. The results may be explained by issues with instrumentation, a lack of implementation fidelity throughout the study, or the sample's demographics. This study identifies the need for a significant reexamination of prior findings by other researchers and the need for rigorous replication of TILT research. Additional areas related to the low-income student experience are also discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Individuals coming from low-income backgrounds, particularly women and people of color, are disproportionately underrepresented in STEM fields. The low representation is often attributed to low enrollment and completion rates in STEM programs. Community colleges play a crucial role in increasing diversity in the workforce. However, there is not much information about how community college students' experiences in STEM academic programs supports their science identity development. The purpose of this case study was to understand how participation in a STEM intervention program assisted low-income students in their science identity development. Science identity development has been used to understand how students' interactions with the field influence their interest, engagement, and sense of belonging to science. The STEM Community program was a STEM Intervention Program (SIP) that provided low-income students, many that held other minoritized identities, with financial, social, and academic assistance. The case study included semi-structured interviews with 17 program participants and 2 program mentors, and the program coordinator, document analysis of end-of-the-year student reflections, and observational data. The findings from the study suggest that early intellectual curiosity, early exposure to science, encouragement to pursue a career in science, and personal goals play a major role in sparking interest in science. Hands-on experiences, mentoring, and guidance increase the sense of competence and performance in science. Engaging in undergraduate research opportunities and scientific conferences substantially increases students' sense of recognition and belonging in science. This study also found that finances, privileges, representation, and access to STEM professionals play a role in how students experience STEM programs, thus influencing their science identity development. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study is to determine what factors affect teachers to stay or leave Illinois public school districts that are classified by their state report cards as having 95% or greater low-income student enrollments. Many teachers are dropping out before getting much experience. These teachers are either going to higher socioeconomic schools or quitting the profession all together. Teachers leaving their positions is resulting in teacher shortages and it has become a crisis due to the negative effects of teacher shortage on students and the education system. Things such as low pay, weak professional development opportunities and the fact that the shortage of teachers is more acute in high-poverty schools challenge the goal of providing a sound equitable education to all children. In order to support the objectives, the following research questions help guide this study: The following three research questions will guide this study: 1. What retention factors most influence teachers to remain teaching in low-income Illinois schools? 2. What demographic characteristics most influence teachers to remain in low-income Illinois schools? 3. What strategies improve teacher retention in low-income Illinois schools? This study utilized a modified version of an existing Likert survey and a questionnaire with specific demographic questions as well as two open-ended questions (Hinkel, 2008). There were four major factor areas (administrative support, working environment, job conditions, and relationships) identified as influencing teachers' career decisions referred to as retention factors. The survey was sent to 1,417 teachers and 211 teachers completed the survey. Analysis of survey indicated that among the four job retention factors, the area most likely to influence career decisions was job conditions and administrative support. Responses from the open-ended questions revealed that the factor indicating the greatest influence for teachers to remain in low-income Illinois schools was relationships and the strategy most suggested to keep teachers in low-income schools was administrative and collegial support. Additionally, this study showed age, years of experience, salary, and level of education all had a significant influence on teachers' career decisions working in low-income Illinois schools. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Early college high schools (ECHS) were created to disrupt inequities in the secondary school systems by intentionally serving underserved students in higher education. Using Acevedo-Gil's (2017) College-"Concimiento" model, this qualitative "testimonio" study primarily focused on the narratives of 12 Latin* first-generation low-income ECHS graduates attending a four-year institution in Northern Texas. To further support the "testimonios," this study also included document analysis of seven ECHS websites to see how they prepared their ECHS students for college. Triangulation was conducted with "testimonios," website documents, and memos. To further capture the participants' narratives, the researcher coded, transcribed, and member-checked each of the "testimonios" after every iteration of conversations. The findings show that four major aspects were part of the 12 Latin* First-Generation Low-Income ECHS Graduates. These themes were separated into two sections (1) their ECHS experiences (conversation 1) and (2) their college experiences (conversation 2). In conversation one, the two major themes that arose were: (1) El Compromiso: preparation (or Lack of) for Latin* ECHS to graduation and (2) El Arrebato: Decisions to Go To College and the Assets that Guide Me. In conversation 2, the last two themes were (3) Nepantla: Searching and getting or not information and (4) Obstaculo de tras otro: Clash of Realities. Each finding provided positive and negative experiences that prepared or did not prepare Latin* First-Generation Low-Income ECHS Graduates to attend a four-year institution. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The problem addressed in this case study was to understand the criteria elementary school principals used to select students as participants in their STEM programs. Therefore, this case study aimed to explore and understand the criteria or protocol that elementary principals use to include low-income Black and Hispanic students in STEM programs within a Central Florida District. The research questions centered on how principals used STEM criteria for student inclusion and the elementary school principal's role with low-income Black and Hispanic students in the STEM curriculum in a Central Florida District. Additionally, a case study design that best aligned with the study's goals provided participants with a platform to share their thoughts regarding the topic. Purposive sampling was completed of 126 Central Florida school sites for this case study with those participants who were in a position to provide information best aligned with the focus of the study. Data were collected and triangulated through individual structured interviews with elementary school principals, field notes from site observations of the STEM programs, and demographic data (ethnicity and low-income status). The data were manually transcribed and coded. The emergent findings included the following: (a) principals used varying criteria for their STEM programs based on the needs of their students, and (b) participants suggested that understanding STEM and its benefits to students through professional development supports the implementation of STEM. Building on the findings from this study, the practical applications include establishing STEM Cohorts to support leader efficacy, professional learning for school leaders, and leveraging STEM resources. However, more research is needed to examine the criteria for STEM access for students using quantitative methods and how elementary principals' experiences impact their ethics and values as decision-makers and educational leaders. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

K-2 Educators in public schools encountered several difficulties when trying to acquire and integrate the new technologies needed to use blended learning methods during the COVID-19 epidemic. The problem was that educators of K-2 students in public schools serving low-income communities were unprepared to acquire and use blended learning technology during the COVID--19 pandemic in Georgia State. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study is to understand how K-2 educators experienced the implementation of blended learning and how their experiences shaped and informed their teaching practices in low-SES schools in Georgia during the pandemic. A qualitative methodology and interpretive phenomenological design were used to gather qualitative data regarding the lived experiences of the 14 educators. The participants taught kindergarten to fifth grade. Data was collected from the described participants using individual semi-structured interviews. The audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and checked for accuracy using member checks and analyzed thematically using NVivo. Six themes were identified: blended learning and technology inclusion in schools, blended learning benefits, blended learning and student outcomes, educator training for blended learning, the COVID-19 pandemic and blended learning, perceptions of blended learning among students and parents during COVID-19, educator preparation and implementation of blended learning during COVID-19, and blended learning in low-income school districts. The study concluded that K-2 educators were able to adopt approaches that enhance student-centered engagement, enabling the educators to meet students' needs by using different blended learning tools in the classroom. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Research examining the administration, evaluation, and continued implementation of technology-based nutrition education interventions for low-income populations is lacking. This dissertation evaluated the implementation of Food eTalk, a statewide online, self-paced nutrition education program. Implementation occurred in various community- and clinic-based settings serving low-income Georgians eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed). The goals of this study were: 1) to determine the current status of and needs for online eLearning nutrition education resources among the low-income Georgian population from the perspectives of community- and clinic-based personnel, 2) to understand the perspectives of program facilitators regarding the process and feasibility of implementing the eLearning nutrition education program, Food eTalk, in their professional setting and to the communities they serve, and 3) to identify facilitators and barriers of Food eTalk implementation in relation to program participant activity measures. A longitudinal, mixed-methods design was employed using a statewide online survey to gather preliminary data, pre- and post-implementation interviews among Food eTalk facilitators to understand perspectives of online nutrition education programs before and after program administration, and tracking of program usage data before, during, and after implementation. Results of the statewide survey showed the availability of online nutrition education resources to SNAP-Ed-eligible adult audiences in Georgia and interest in additional eLearning opportunities among survey respondents. Pre-implementation interviews revealed the influential factors that community- and clinic-based representatives consider when envisioning the implementation of an eLearning nutrition education program for their low-income clientele. Studying the process of Food eTalk implementation in a variety of settings provided insight into effective implementation models of the program while allowing organizational tailoring of the approach. Facilitators found the program to be a feasible way to continue providing nutrition education to their participants during COVID-19, but the self-paced nature of the program challenged program retention. Integral elements for future implementation and dissemination efforts include goal setting, flexible and novel engagement strategies, and communicative efforts between administrative staff and facilitators. The findings of this project provide a basis on which to build implementation toolkits for the future implementation of online, self-paced nutrition education programs for low-income audiences. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

First-generation and low-income (FGLI) college student enrollment numbers are steadily increasing among American colleges and universities. The nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) continue to enroll and educate the largest number of African American first-generation and low-income students. As greater access to a college education becomes available, first-generation, and low-income students from minoritized backgrounds are taking the opportunity to shift the trajectory of their lives and become the first persons in their families to attend and graduate from college. However, the experiences of these students as they matriculate through college are highly variable as compared to non-first-generation and low-income students. African American FGLI HBCU students require additional targeted student support services and depend heavily on their enrolling institution for basic needs. When basic needs are unmet, this increases the students' chances of facing challenges and barriers that impede their success, achievement, and college completion. "Life After College" is a qualitative study that examines how ten former first-generation and low-income students from six North Carolina HBCUs navigated college, their college experience as FGLI students, and which challenges they faced in college while striving to reach success. Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework was used to understand how participants navigated their undergraduate academic progress from a strengths-based perspective. Findings from this study suggest that some African American FGLI HBCU students are extremely dependent on their HBCUs to provide basic needs as they attend college due to their families' inability to do so. In addition, they rely more heavily, than "previously" thought, on campus and student support services to help them matriculate through college. Findings also reveal that FGLI students can be low-income or very-low-income with very-low-income students being "extremely impoverished". It is recommended that colleges and universities acknowledge these two very different levels of financial constraints and hardship and consider how to provide extra support for very-low-income students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Despite a college degree being a prerequisite for economic and social mobility, many low-income students graduate at far lower rates than students from wealthier families. Existing research suggests that low-income students are more likely to attend college less prepared to succeed once they get there, experience financial challenges, have difficult navigating the complex higher education system, and have multiple obligations outside of their academic responsibilities, resulting in low completion rates. Much of the previous literature is rooted in in a deficit framework suggesting that low-income students are lacking or deficient if they are not academically successful. This study departs from the deficit paradigm by investigating how low-income students participating in a Student Support Services program at a Hispanic Serving Institution leverage their funds of knowledge and social capital to persist and graduate college. Findings suggest that low-income students have diverse needs and use a combination of relationships with family, peers, professional staff, and faculty to gain the knowledge, skills, and experiences that helped them overcome their barriers in college. Moreover, those who leave college should not be viewed negatively. As demonstrated by the participants who stopped out during their college career, they did not give up but left college temporarily to resolve the issues that kept them from staying enrolled, and those who did not return understand the importance of graduating and plan to return to college. As colleges and universities search to find ways to increase college completion, the findings from this study will add to our theoretical understanding of successful practices that keep low-income students on a college completion path rather than highlighting student deficits. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Schooling can often function as a structure contributing to the reproduction of an American Dream of material and social success, but it can also reproduce an American nightmare of marginalization. Research studies have noted young men of color populate negative outcomes of academic achievement with trends of low test scores, overrepresentation in special education programs, and underrepresentation in gifted and talented programs, contributing toward higher rates of school failure, delinquency, and dropout with life outcomes involving poverty, despair, and legal punishment. This study is an exploration of how school rules and expectations impact the perceptions of low-income young men of color. To gain a deeper understanding of the ways research participants' perceptions were influenced by a suburban high school embedded within a middle/upper class white structure, I conducted a critical interpretive investigation. My theoretical lens is an examination of the American Dream ideology anchored within critical theories of marginalization, reproduction, and resistance. I collected data through interviews of nine low-income male students of color, observations in school hallways and the cafeteria, and a review of four school documents to understand the rules and expectations impacting research participants' school world. Student interviews and observations unveiled reasons for participants' negative perceptions of their school, entailing disconnected academic expectations, punitive disciplinary measures, and white favoritism. Research analysis suggests students resisted respect and insubordination school rules and expectations due to the school's inattention to their low-resourced backgrounds. Research participants also shared that their school prevented them from developing their own personal and occupational goals. Interviews further revealed students possessing a defeatist attitude, indicating a need for school supports to help students develop a more positive socioemotional and racial identity, while finding space for student voices to help shape equitable school policies and practices. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The impact of employment on academic achievement and college-going is readily evaluated within the literature, primarily through a quantitative lens. In such studies, youth employment is commonly found to negatively affect high school grades, persistence, and the likelihood of attending college. This qualitative study responds to the dominant understanding of youth employment by illustrating the narratives of five low-income Latinx students who worked at high intensities (15+ hours weekly) during high school. Data were collected through three in-depth, semi-structured life history interviews with each participant. Guided by a critical epistemology, this study explores participants' individual and environmental resiliencies in navigating employment and academic pursuits. It further explores the meaning participants find in work. Findings showed that, for participants, like many low-income students, employment came at an early age, driven by their families' socio-economic hardships and a personal desire to assist their parents. The analysis further revealed the varied practices participants use to navigate a wounded school system to manage work obligations. This navigation included the skillful use of time management in worksite study practices, course scheduling, and the use of class time. Additionally, it called upon students' insights in recognizing varying instructional requirements and negotiating study and course assignment priorities. Participants also heavily relied on the relationships within their lives, including parents, peers, educators, and employers, for motivation, support, and direction in their work and academic journeys. Youth employment, for participants, is meaningful as an educational resource and a vehicle for stress reduction. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This Dissertation in Practice explored the impact of an individualized meeting with family members of low-income students on the family member sense of connection to the university and knowledge of campus resources. Parents and family members play an important role in higher education as influencers, stakeholders, fundraisers, bill payers, and meaningful supporters for their students' college experience. While family member participation in higher education has increased with the current generation of students, many institutions continue to use a traditional approach to family engagement, which fails to fully leverage the positive impact that family members could have on student success. This study used an improvement science framework to develop a theory of improvement for one specific university system, review relevant scholarly knowledge, introduce a test of change into the system, and measure of the impact of that change. The improvement effort introduced was a one-on-one outreach meeting between university staff and family members of low-income students to discuss the family member's experience at the university. A mixed methods study used survey data from both the staff and family member participants to measure the impact of the interaction. The data demonstrated that the meetings had a positive impact on the intended outcomes of building a sense of connection with the university and increasing knowledge of campus resources. This test of change produced positive results upon which future iterations of the outreach meetings could be designed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Black college students' social engagement navigation in higher education is met with challenges at many colleges and universities. Students from racial minority backgrounds and low-income families face a disparity in social capital gain during their enrollment at higher education institutions. This reality has led to constant reproduction of social difficulty for first-generation low-income Black students that are enrolled in higher education. The first-generation low-income (FGLI) US Black college women in this study overcame many obstacles to obtain their self-developed social networks and individual connections to the four-year public predominately White institution (PWI) they attended. This study explored ten FGLI US Black college women perspectives on bridging and bonding social capital while participating in collegiate fitness programs at a predominately White Institution (PWI). The participants identified social networks within collegiate fitness programs and on campus as whole and discussed how their race, gender and social class intersected in those. The study participants' race, gender, and social class shaped their engagement experiences in higher education and their opportunities to connect with peers who shared similar interests and valued identities. Utilization of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Social Capital Theory as theoretical frameworks to investigate the participants' networks, relationships, community, educational outcomes, brought to light campus structural inequality, power dynamics, and experiences of marginalization, coupled with calls for social justice. The findings of this study indicated that study participant's racial, gender, and social class status did result in racial and gendered experiences in campus fitness programs and on campus as a whole. Study participants found solace in campus support programs and with their peer support groups. Implications for post-secondary administrators and professors are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This case study explored the experiences of alumni of a private boarding school for low-income children who had informal mentors to understand the long-term effects of informal mentors among a diverse population. Guided by the memorable message framework, the study retrospectively focused on relationships alumni identified as having made a difference in their lives, the messages they remembered from those relationships, and how those relationships and messages remained evident throughout their lives. Twenty interview participants were selected from alumni who completed reunion directory forms and identified a staff member who had a significant impact on them as students. Participants identified persons of impact based on what was happening in their lives, the individuals' personal traits, and how they made the participant feel. Persons of impact helped participants feel confident, supported, cared for, and optimistic. They also taught them how to set priorities and exercise self-control. Messages remained evident in participants' adult lives by informing how they made decisions, what they valued, and how they chose to spend their time. The findings suggested that being present for students is the first and most significant step toward being considered an informal mentor. In addition, the study confirmed the benefits of informal mentoring for students from low-income families. It also demonstrated the value of using the memorable message framework (Knapp et al., 1981) to explore the long-term impact of a phenomenon, like informal mentoring. While the study explored informal mentoring within the context of a single school, it provided insights into how other schools may be able to increase opportunities for students to connect with staff members who they identify as informal mentors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]