Building Aspirations Through Supportive Systems: Understanding the Career Learning Experiences of Middle School Prospective First-Generation College Students

Nina R. Schoonover, Demetrious Trā Nicholson, Joseph M. Williams, Russell Carlock, Ben Allen, Center for Community Partnerships, University of Virginia, School of Education, School Counseling Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, School and Community Engagement, Albemarle County Public Schools

Journal of Career Development

Published online on April 18, 2026

Abstract

Journal of Career Development, Ahead of Print.
Middle school is a critical period of identify formation, academic achievement, and career exploration, particularly for prospective first-generation college students (PFGCS). This instrumental case study (Stake, 1995) focused on interviews with a sample ...