ABSTRACT
Laura's story reveals how she pursued university in an attempt to rise above barriers related to her social class and ethnicity (Portuguese) and gendered oppression (including stigma and lack of opportunities). Her mother, as she indicated, had “no real formal education” and her father, who was divorced from her mother, had some high school education and had been on disability before she entered university. Laura worked diligently to physically and mentally escape the traumatic circumstances and punishing environments in which she grew up. At the initial Bridging meeting, Laura entered the room confident about her presence. She was the only participant to attend the university's satellite campus, where she pursued English and linguistics. Laura explained that she chose that campus not only because she was interested in its French language opportunities but also because it was located in a middle-to-upper-class neighborhood which allowed her to be entrenched in middle-class surroundings. While at university, Laura married her longtime boyfriend and gave birth to two children. Through it all, she attended research meetings, stayed enrolled in school, and graduated. Now, a mother of two young adults, she works to ensure that they are afforded “chances of becoming influential people in this society.”
