Background
I am a international PhD candidate in the School of Social Work at 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ, walking into my fourth year of study. My research focuses on the factors and processes that shape educational upward mobility among socioeconomically disadvantaged emerging adults. My 2025 LKS-STU research project builds on my 2024 study by further exploring the psychosocial experiences and career imagination of first-generation college students. Specifically, my aim for this year's project was to interview at least 15 students whose parents had not received a college education, had worked in manual labor, or had come from rural areas in China.
Goal Fulfillment
I was fortunate to connect with dozens of students who expressed interest in participating. Ultimately, I exceeded my initial target: within a one-month stay, I conducted five group interviews and ten individual interviews, engaging a total of 28 participants. This response surpassed my expectations and enriched the depth and diversity of my data.
Program Highlights
Two aspects of the program stand out as the most memorable. First was the exceptional support I received from STU faculty and staff during the participant recruitment phase. I am especially grateful to my esteemed collaborator, Dr. Mao, Associate Professor at the Higher Education Research Center, as well as the chief secretaries and student counselors across the colleges (•øÔº). Their enthusiastic promotion of our recruitment call ensured broad outreach and visibility.
Second, the interviews themselves left a profound impact on me. The stories shared by first-generation college students illuminated the complexities of navigating education and career aspirations in a society marked by rapid socioeconomic change. Their voices deepened my understanding of the ongoing challenges and layered realities within contemporary Chinese society.
Challenges and Strategies
Having conducted a similar project at STU the previous year, I was able to anticipate potential obstacles and plan accordingly. I set a realistic recruitment goal of 15 students and partnered with a local collaborator who facilitated connections with student counselors across various colleges, ensuring a diverse participant pool.
To refine our outreach strategy, I implemented a two-step recruitment and screening process. We distributed a broad eligibility announcement across social media groups, followed by a short questionnaire to gather demographic information from interested respondents. This approach helped reduce stigma related to rural or disadvantaged backgrounds while still enabling us to identify participants who fit our study criteria.