ABSTRACT
This chapter was inspired, in part, by a memorable colleague. He is a beloved African American professor at a predominantly White University. Having heard that he was the driving force behind a new program on his campus, the goal of which is to improve the college experience of students who belong to ethnic minority groups, I set out to get to know him and eventually had the opportunity to ask him about his own personal college experience. He vividly remembered his very first day of college and spoke to me of the excitement that preceded his arrival at college, the great expectations he had, and how in just one day-his very first day-his enthusiasm was replaced by a feeling of hopelessness and despair.
