| The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of women as they persist in higher education while managing their daily lives. Nontraditional women who are at risk in college because of life's situations seek strategies to meet their learning needs. Very little research has been done about women who, without a formal support system, are able to complete their educational goals in spite of the odds.;Grounded theory, a qualitative approach, was used to organize and interpret the data. This naturalistic inquiry allowed for the examination of women's lives firsthand and provided a rich stream of data that could classified to reach conclusions about how these women were able to succeed in college. Eleven women were interviewed before saturation was reached. Although the women's experiences were relative to their individual times and places in life, a common set of propositions emerged, with one overall identifying theme.;Key propositions pointed to these women and their commitment to relationships while pursuing their studies. They formed new positive ones as they exhibited the ability to adapt to varying circumstances while they pursued their dream of a college education. They also learned how to respond to adversity in new ways in order to stay in school. Finally, the women saw how their family backgrounds could negatively influence their future if they allowed it. The one overarching theme uncovered as a strategy they used to stay in school was the significance of the power of relationships. They were able to distinguish between negative relationships that interfered with their goals, and they were able to identify the positive relationships that were helping them to succeed. They saw that their achievement, the conviction they developed, the choices they made, their beliefs and their growth and development all had to do with the quality of their relationships.;Finally, this study found that women identified reliable and positive relationships that helped them persist. Their views changed from negative before they entered higher education to positive after experiencing college and forming new relationships. As more time passed, the women's outlooks changed about their abilities to do college. The women identified positive relationships as the reasons they changed their overall view. Finally, they saw the value in directly seeking out positive relationships to help sustain them in school.;The information in this study is beneficial to college practitioners and other professionals who are helping to advance the status of women. It is also beneficial to other nontraditional women who are attempting to reach higher educational goals for the first time in their lives. |
