Introduction: "A good coach can change a game; a great coach can change a life" (Wooden, n.d., para. 1). The focus of this dissertation was to explore associations between attachment of high school athletes to their coach and the athlete's ability to cope in the athletic environment. In looking at high school coach-athlete relationships…

Drawing from Foucauldian discourse analysis and narrative inquiry, this poststructural Foucauldian-informed thematic discourse analysis explored the ways bisexual+ emerging adults used fiction-based parasocial relationships during identity construction processes. Through interviews and journal reflections, five bisexual+ emerging adults were…

Parasocial Relationships can mirror social relationships, particularly to individuals in isolation. Student Affairs practitioners were enormously impacted by the conditions of the Great Distress Era (the period that included the COVID-19 restrictions, racial violence and protests in response, political unrest). Many engaged in parasocial…

Overview: The purpose of this study was to investigate through the lived experiences of twelve elementary principals in Kansas, their interactions with students who have experienced trauma, how it influences them personally and professionally and how they have learned to cope with the impact. This study sought to find potential commonalities among…

Although students from Africa are among the least represented groups among international students in U.S. higher education, the number of enrollments in U.S. schools has significantly increased (Institute of International Education, 2020). The steady rise in African international students suggests a compelling need to qualitatively examine these…

Black women administrators should be included in the discourse around experiences in leadership on their campuses, understanding these experiences will shed light not only on how to develop and retain this group, but also on these additional needs of this group. The experience of Black women administrators is a topic that has not been studied…

This three-phase study explored the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of a Mental Health podcast program for college students. Phase I used a needs assessment to understand (a) the number of days impacted by MH concerns, (b) behaviors and coping strategies, (c) contributing factors, and (d) ways MH impacts students. Students between the ages…

The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of burnout and compassion fatigue among postsecondary undergraduate student leaders working in supportive, helping roles at a small liberal arts college, and to identify mitigation and coping strategies for these phenomena at both the individual and organization level. Guided by social…

A quantitative studies systematic review with narrative synthesis was conducted to explore the risk and protective factors among Latinx college students' mental health. This systematic review also aimed to identify the relevant demographic variability to the mental health of Latinx college students, and the relationship between mental health and…

Black males have the highest dropout rates, poorest achievement, lowest test scores, and the lowest graduation rate among all ethnic groups (Naylor et al., 2015; Whiting, 2009). Drawing upon interviews, this qualitative study explored the experiences and perceptions of African American mentees participating in mentoring programs at two regional…

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to develop a better understanding of the factors that influenced the holistic mental health and wellness of Black women doctoral students and recent alumnae during their doctoral journey. Although research is emerging on the wellness of graduate students, there is limited literature on Black women…

Studies have proliferated illustrating Black women's experiences on campus with sense of belonging (Haynes, 2019), Black women's identity development (Porter & Byrd, 2021; Porter & Dean, 2015; Porter et al, 2020), and connections between coping strategies and navigating non-Black environments (Apugo, 2019; Greyerbiehl & Mitchell, 2014;…

First Generation College Students (FGCS) account for one third of all doctoral degree recipients in the USA, however, very little is known about their educational experiences. Using a narrative inquiry approach, this study employed a Cultural Proficient framework to explore the barriers that prevent FGCS from pursuing post-undergraduate…

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, there was no precedence set or documented protocol to govern the transition from face-to-face to online teaching. The purpose of this study was to explore middle school administrators' perspectives on their challenges and opportunities when assisting teachers as they transitioned from face-to-face to online…

The role of coach-athlete relationships on youth athlete performance and development outcomes has generated significant research interest seeking to understand the dynamics that underlie the nature and development of these relationships. Earlier investigations focused on understanding coaching styles and coaching leadership behaviors which made…