Telling their story: The reflections, perceptions and experiences of alumni of the Educational Opportunity Program at a technical university

The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at the University of Mechanical Engineering (UME) has been in existence for the past thirty years. The central mission of EOP, a federally and state funded program, is to provide greater access into higher education for groups of people who have experienced the greatest barriers to a post-secondary education. These are individuals whose parents did not attend college and do not have the economic resources to attend college. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the program based upon alumni who successfully graduated from UME. Further, the study describes how these alumni understand the influence of EOP on their college experiences and professional lives. Every year, the EOP recognizes the academic achievements of graduating EOP participants with an overall GPA of 2.7 and higher. Thus, for the purpose of this study, a "successful graduate" will be defined as an individual who participated in EOP and completed the requirements for a baccalaureate degree with an overall GPA of 2.7 and higher. Fifteen qualitative case studies were conducted of EOP graduates from UME. Few studies have sought data directly from alumni of these groups regarding the role of EOP in their college and professional lives. In this regard, the qualitative data gathered and reported is unique.; The data from the study indicate that the services and support provided by the EOP at UME effectively helped the graduates, who were deemed as "high risk" for educational access to higher education and achievement through their unique pre-collegiate and collegiate tribulations. The reflections, perceptions and experiences of former EOP participants who are currently engineers or doctoral students in engineering programs reveals the relevance of a retention program in the lives of participants who are faced with the most difficult barriers in completing college. This research identifies institutional practices that contribute to success in engineering and uses the words and ideas of alumni as a guide to implementation of future support services. The research affirms the viability of the programs and suggests how policies such as the EOP would further the prospects of low-income students in higher education.