Future Shaping Factors: Stress, Optimism, and Career Aspirations in Hispanic Serving Institutions

Abstract

Understanding the development of career aspirations is vital, particularly for students in Hispanic Majority Institutions (HMIs). We collected online measures of belonging, stress, optimism, and career aspiration among undergraduates attending an HMI to explore these relationships. Our explanatory framework revealed that acceptance was significantly positively correlated with career aspirations relating to achievement, leadership, and education. In contrast, rejection was negatively associated with lower career aspirations. Serial mediation models confirmed that stress and optimism significantly mediate effects of belongingness on career aspirations, where optimism plays a role in maintaining resilience and motivation to strive for long-term goals. Our study underscores the important role of surrounding students in an inclusive and supportive academic environment to promote student career aspirations at HMIs