The Hispanic population in the United States has increased over the last 20 years, making it one of the largest ethnic groups in the country. The increase in the population size may be attributed to the influx of Latin American immigrants. Drivers of migration include economic and educational mobility. Many immigrants see education in the US as a pathway to socio-economic mobility, which has led to Hispanic populations attending university at higher rates over time. Despite an increase in Hispanic university attendance, the significant gap in college enrollment and graduation compared to their racial and ethnic counterparts persists. Acculturation has been noted as a predictor of positive academic performance, influencing how Hispanic students simultaneously engage with and adapt to their educational environment. Hispanic students have been found to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety at higher rates. This research aims to explore the effects of acculturation, internalized, and externalized mental health symptomatology of Hispanic students at a public university in South Florida across a 12-day span. Most studies on the effects of acculturation have been longitudinal or cross-sectional. Examining acculturation and fluctuation on a day-to-day basis allows researchers to better understand how Hispanic students’ anxiety, depression, and psychological well-being behaviors fluctuate during shorter periods of time throughout the semester. Results indicated that Hispanic students who felt comfortable partaking in US practices displayed better outcomes for psychological well-being. Hispanic students who felt comfortable partaking in US and Hispanic practices displayed less depression and anxiety symptomatology.

Guided by LatCrit and Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework, this study explores how confianza, a cultural value rooted in trust, connection, and mutual respect, influences the college experience of Latine students in higher education. While confianza has been studied within K-12 settings, few studies have examined how Latine students build confianza in higher education spaces and its impact on their experiences and college outcomes. Through two group interviews, each consisting of 7-8 self-identified Latine undergraduate students, this study will examine the role of confianza in fostering belonging, advocacy, and resilience . By using a critical thematic analysis approach, patterns and common themes will be isolated in order to understand the role that confianza plays in the experiences of Latine students in higher education. With my study, I am to offer insights into how institutions can better support diverse Latine student populations through culturally responsive practices, and research approaches that are rooted in their cultural values that will continue to uplift and support Latine students.

Racism and discrimination may exacerbate mental health difficulties among Black college students (Bravo et al., 2021); however, cultural assets (e.g., ethnic and racial identity, and affinity spaces) can be protective (Volpe & Jones, 2023). This study examines the mental health outcomes, cultural assets, and cultural experiences of Black students in higher education via survey data and an open-ended narrative prompt. Seventy-five self-identified, Black/African/African American students completed an online survey via Qualtrics in Spring 2022 (n = 43) and Fall 2023 (n = 32). Participants were recruited from a larger study investigating students’ identity, experiences in life and school, mental health, and well-being. The research questions were: 1) Are domains of ethnic and racial identity (e.g., exploration and centrality) associated with mental health outcomes? 2) Do these psychological factors differ by age, year in college, and cohort? 3) What cultural experiences do Black students have in college? Bivariate correlations suggest that ethnic and racial identity domains were not associated with mental health outcomes, and these factors did not vary by age or year in college. Contrary to expectations, students’ self-reported mental health symptoms did not differ by cohort. Qualitative analyses revealed the following themes and cultural experiences: intergroup friendships, discriminatory treatment, importance of representation, cultural resources, meaning-making, and multiracial identity development. This mixed-method study advances the literature by investigating the psychological outcomes of Black college students in relation to their cultural context. These findings have implications for future research and interventions aimed at promoting flourishing among Black college students.

Latine students represent a large and growing portion of students in US universities. Research shows that Latine college students face a range of stressors, including struggles with accessing mental health resources. These stressors come from many of these students experiencing discrimination, racism and stigmas. In general these can be exacerbated among transfer students, who often experience transfer shock. This study investigates how Latine transfer students navigate cultural stigmas associated with accessing mental health resources. It also seeks to understand how students deem when they should seek mental health resources. The study aims to recruit 3-5 research participants at UC Davis who self-identify as Latine and as transfer students. Interview guidelines aim to build a deep understanding of the student’s cultural background and the ways their cultural heritage impacts their interaction with campus mental health resources. The goal is to be able to bring awareness on how mental health services are perceived at UC Davis to be able to more effectively market and provide services for Latine students.