Building Strengths Awareness and Hope in Students’ Transition to Higher Education

Despite the continued growth of strengths-based approaches within colleges and universities, scholarship regarding the benefits of strengths initiatives in higher education is scarce. This study explores a hypothesized relationship between first-year college students’ strengths awareness and their levels of hope. Utilizing data from a survey administered to first-year students who took the Clifton StrengthsFinder® and engaged in strengths-related programming (n = 1,072), the results of an analysis suggest positive and significant relationships between students’ strengths awareness, hope pathways, and hope agency controlling for other factors. Recommendations for higher education practitioners and educators are discussed.