ABSTRACT
Community colleges are open access post-secondary institutions that serve a variety of needs for diverse student populations. Community colleges are also often less resourced than four-year colleges, and the students who attend community colleges are more likely to be minoritized, from lower socioeconomic situations, and be less academically prepared when compared to four-year college going peers. Understanding the experiences of community college students and how they intersect with persistence is an important topic. Scholars are interested in persistence for higher education broadly, while community college practitioners and leaders look to improve student successes at specific institutions. To help bring forth the lived experiences of community college students, this phenomenologically-rooted qualitative study draws on the interviews of twelve first-time community college students who decided to stay enrolled at one urban community college from their first to second academic years. The theoretic approach was initially influenced by Interactionist theory and Involvement theory, and was ultimately shaped by Validation theory. Thematic analysis revealed that participants spoke to positive persistence experiences in which they felt validated or fortified, articulated positive possible selves, expressed evident self-efficacy, used reciprocal institutional resources, and placed value on individual cost-reducing initiatives. Although the participants attended during a unique-time due to the covid-19 pandemic, their experiences exemplify the significant role community college staff, faculty, and leaders play in supporting individual student's persistence. Future research ideas were explored, and recommendations for practitioners and leaders alike were offered. Foremost, the study highlights the pivotal role institutional agents play in the persistence experiences of community college students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)