ABSTRACT
Ling is 22 years old and is beginning her doctoral journey in a polymer science program at Flagship University, a large, public research institution. Ling is the third in her family to get a graduate degree. She looks forward to her experience but feels a bit of trepidation about it as well. Not only is she uncertain about what awaits her in graduate school but she is also concerned that she will have a difficult time finding friends, as she is moving far away from her family in China to attend school in the Midwest. Beyond these challenges, Ling is uncertain of how many other Asians she will find in this largely White region and how many other women she will meet in her department. Ling at least feels security in the fact that she has been provided funding through her research assistantship, something that she believes will prepare her well for her anticipated career in academia.
