| The focus of this study was on Mexican American women in Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) doctoral programs. The purpose of my research was to provide insight about the cultural characteristics of both CES doctoral programs and Mexican American women by using qualitative methods to explore the identities of Mexican American women CES doctoral students. Anzaldua's Borderlands theory and narrative inquiry influenced my data analysis.;Several findings emerged from the current study. The first three categories revolved around academia and were divided between two groups of participants. The first group discussed positive experiences within their CES doctoral programs and the second group reported more challenging experiences in their doctoral programs. These three categories included: strategies to enhance professional development, developing a professional identity, and strategies to persist. The final category, navigating borderlands, demonstrated the cultural spheres participants navigated. The sub-categories included: integrating family and academia, borders between family and academia, integrating ethnic and academic identities, and borders between ethnic and academic identities.;Findings demonstrate the multiple identities that Mexican American women in CES doctoral programs navigate as they strive to persist and succeed in their doctoral programs. Additionally, due to the division among participants, further research is needed about the factors that foster positive and negative experiences for Mexican American women CES doctoral students as well as exploration into how these women develop professional identities while in their CES doctoral programs. |
