WVXU: Women veterans of color feel out of step in higher ed

Students who are women veterans of color find support systems off campus for a lack of belonging they feel on campus, says a study by UC’s Rachael Saunders.

This finding, among others, appears in a study which Saunders led while a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina. Saunders is currently an assistant professor of counseling in UC’s School of Human Services, in the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services and was interviewed by WVXU to discuss the study. 

The study is called “Bended womanhood bended back: The intersection of race, gender, and culture in women of color veterans and their transition into higher education” and appears in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.

 "I think that's important to highlight that even though they (study participants) didn't have a sense of belonging, that they really struggled to feel that they were accepted in these places, they showed critical insight and resilience that evolved because those intersecting identities," Saunders told WVXU.

Read the WVXU interview

Learn more about the study

Featured image at top courtesy of Unsplash/Bendjy.