Students’ of Color Experiences in a Service-Learning Program at a Community College:
A Critical Study

While community colleges serve the majority of Students of Color in higher education, a large percentage of these students drop out of college and do not graduate or transfer to four-year institutions. This problem is well-documented and has been the focus of multiple initiatives (i.e., first-year experience courses, cohort learning, professional advisers, student success coordinators) within higher education (Bailey & Alfonso, 2005; Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2010; Hatch, Mardock-Uman, & Garcia, 2018; Hyman, 2018; Tinto, 1999; Topper, 2019). This transformative-emancipatory mixed-methods study was conducted at a large community college in the southeastern United States, and offered a critical examination of whether or not service-learning involvement influenced graduation rates for Students of Color at community colleges, and how. The quantitative results from the study supported the literature by indicating service-learning participation and cumulative GPA increased the likelihood of graduation for Students of Color. There was a negative relationship between identifying as a Student of Color and graduation. The qualitative findings indicated Students of Color attributed service-learning with their ability to succeed in college; however, students also reported racialized experiences within the service-learning experience. This study expanded the literature by exploring ways in which service-learning contributed to Students’ of Color Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005). Due to the complex nature of service-learning and the innumerable differences between individual student’s experiences, there is no simple way to illustrate the ways in which service-learning influences success in courses, graduation rates, or future success in a career. However, these findings can serve as empirical evidence to support the further exploration of Students’ of Color experiences within service-learning courses and programs.