Date of Award

2025

Degree Type

Restricted to Claremont Colleges Dissertation

Degree Name

Education, PhD

Program

School of Educational Studies

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Linda Perkins

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

JoAnna Poblete

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Rachel Camacho

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2025 Elisa J Slee

Keywords

belonging, formerly incarcerated, higher education, persistence, STEM, system-impacted

Subject Categories

Education

Abstract

This dissertation explores the transformative role of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education for formerly incarcerated individuals through oral history narratives, specifically focusing on narrators within California’s statewide initiatives at California State Universities’ Project Rebound, the University of California’s Underground Scholars, and California Community Colleges’ Rising Scholars programs. The United States' disproportionate incarceration rate, coupled with stark racial and gender disparities, underscores the need for educational pathways that facilitate successful reintegration into society. This research aims to document and analyze the experiences of individuals who navigate the complex landscape of higher education in STEM fields post-incarceration. By highlighting the narratives of formerly incarcerated individuals, the study seeks to challenge deficit perspectives, which are views that attribute the lack of educational success to individual shortcomings rather than systemic factors and contribute to a deeper understanding of education's role in fostering resilience, empowerment, and systemic change.

ISBN

9798314899632

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Available for download on Sunday, May 16, 2027

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