Abstract

During my research, I want to explore the psychological and physiological impacts that stress has in learning in undergraduate Hispanic and Latina Students in top-tier institutions such as UCSD. Stress is commonly understood as the body’s response to unfamiliar situations, demands or environmental changes which triggers the cortisol production and activates a constant flight-or flight state. Moderate stress helps us stay motivated and drives our productivity which is beneficial for our everyday life, but excessive stress can cause negative effects. Previous research associates chronic stress with depression and obesity. For unrepresented academic populations, these negative effects from excessive stress can be triggered when they navigate environments that are not built for them and overcome adversities to get to college. Stress can make their learning journeys difficult when they need to keep up with academic deadlines, part-time jobs, social climate and family obligations. 

While the rates of Hispanic undergraduate students graduating from top-tier universities have increased in recent years, dropout rates have not decreased at the same pace. Students coming from Hispanic and Latina backgrounds tend to face socioeconomic and socio-cultural barriers, with Latina and Hispanic students are most likely to be twice as affected when it comes to facing those barriers. Despite this, Latina students have been able to overcome those barriers and get to graduate from top-tier universities. In this research paper, I will explore through interviews how do these women overcome the socioeconomic barriers and socio-cultural barriers in their life to achieve their goals. Looking at students that come from hispanic backgrounds, I aim to analyze how their backgrounds as from hispanic communities drive them to pursue higher education.