“It’s a matter of not knowing”: Examining Black first-gen women administrators’ career socialization and preparation

Using intersectionality as a framework, the authors examined the professional socialization and support experiences of 12 Black first-generation (first-gen¹) women administrators in Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) in preparation for and as they navigated predominantly white work environments (PWWEs). The authors used a metanarrative approach to explore participants’ individual and shared experiences. Their findings revealed that graduate assistantships, (co)curricular supervisors, and engagement with professional associations primarily facilitated participants’ career socialization. Moreover, participants described their attempts and difficulties in creating new mentorship and support networks while nurturing existing relationships to facilitate professional success. Given that Black first-gen women college graduates are a growing demographic from which the HESA profession can pull, future researchers should consider identity in (in)formal mentorship and support networks, the impact of disparate service burdens on possible mentors and advocates as well as early-career professionals, and examination of existing and/or developing support structures unique to Black first-gen women practitioners. Correspondingly, practitioners can better support Black first-gen women by demystifying the hidden curricula and shifting workplace expectations, normalizing constructive feedback loops related to professional development and improvement, and helping early-career practitioners to negotiate and leverage existing conference and professional association resources—inclusive of funding supports.

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