A Snapshot of College Access and Inequity: Using Photography to Illuminate the Pathways to Higher Education for Underserved Youth

The researchers of this study collected data via photographs; two semi-structured, one-on-one interviews; and a focus group interview to explore the college pathways of ten underserved youth in a college access and preparation program. Findings show that participants experienced structural and systemic barriers rooted in classism and racism on their pathways to higher education. Drawing on multiple forms of Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005), students used assets and resources to support their pathways to higher education in the face of structural and systemic barriers. We envision that our findings will enhance the effectiveness of college access programming, curriculum, and policies designed to serve Students of Color and/or low-income and working class students who aspire to college by emphasizing the need to recognize the agency and capital these students possess, resist deficit-oriented perspectives of underserved youth, and enhance structural support for underserved youth.