Conceptualizing a Proposed Model for Re-Orienting Career Centers for Immigrant College Students

Abstract

Immigrant college students often encounter daunting tasks and obstacles when exploring career paths, seeking employment and experiential learning opportunities aligned with their interests within the dominant US higher education structure. Considering that there is a career services and development literature gap on immigrant students (who comprise a large swath of the college-going population), it is critical to develop meaningful frameworks that support research and practice in this emerging, needed space. This conceptual paper bridges a critical theory of love with funds of knowledge to re-orient the ways in which immigrant students are served at college career centers. Four guiding principles (rooted in the frameworks) are outlined that can support a more collaborative and inclusive experience for immigrant students toward gaining meaningful support at college career centers.