Program
K-12 Administration Ed.D.
Number of Pages
232
Year Approved
2025
First Advisor
Meghan Cavalier
Second Reader
Erin Lavery
Third Reader
Jolyn Dehlvig
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as defined by Drs. Felitti and Anda are prevalent in the general population of the United States. These childhood traumas have a profound and lasting impact on emotional, psychological, and social development, often disrupting academic trajectories and life outcomes. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of six college graduates in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who endured high levels of ACEs yet succeeded in overcoming adversity to achieve academic and personal success. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and resilience theory (Garmezy & Streitman, 1974), semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the effects of ACEs and the protective factors that fostered resilience. Thematic analysis revealed major challenges rooted in emotional and psychological abuse, family instability, substance abuse, and intergenerational trauma. However, protective factors such as faith and spirituality, supportive relationships, educational engagement, and self-regulation strategies emerged as critical to participants’ resilience and long-term success. Findings contribute to the existing literature by emphasizing the dynamic interplay between internal strengths and external supports in resilience development. These themes suggest that protective factors at various system levels foster resilience. They also underscore the importance of trauma-informed educational practices and support systems, including mental health services, faith-based organizations, and social services, to assist students with high ACEs scores in navigating higher education successfully. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed, highlighting pathways to promote healing, empowerment, and academic achievement among individuals affected by early life adversity.
Degree Name
Education Doctorate
Document Type
Doctoral dissertation
Recommended Citation
Denmark-Brown, D. (2025). Exploring the Lived Experiences of People with Adverse Childhood Experiences who have Graduated from College and Broken the Cycle of Generational Poverty [Doctoral dissertation, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/1196
Terms of Use and License Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.