Table 1
Undergraduate Students and Professionals of Migratory Families: Demographic Information.
| PSEUDONYM | GENDER | ENGINEERING DISCIPLINE | FIRST-GENERATION | LOW-INCOME | RURAL AREA | WORKED IN THE AGRICULTURE | YEARS IN PROGRAM** OR ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Engineering Students** | |||||||
| Agustin | Male | Mechatronics Engineering | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 2 years |
| Antonio | Male | Biomedical Engineering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 years |
| Bruno | Male | Mechanical Engineering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 4 years |
| Camilo | Male | Mechanical Engineering | Yes | Yes | No | No | 3 years |
| Luisa | Female | Industrial Engineering | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 4 years |
| Maribel | Female | Computer Science | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2 years |
| Nayeli | Female | Computer Science | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 years |
| Engineering Professionals* | |||||||
| Ana | Female | Material Science Engineering | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 1 year |
| Edgar | Male | Electrical Engineering | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 1 year |
| Mariano | Male | Electrical Engineering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 year |
| Olivia | Female | Mechanical Engineering | Yes | Yes | No | No | 1 years |
| Osvaldo | Male | Mechanical Engineering | Yes | Yes | No | No | 1 year |
| Sebastian | Male | Civil Engineering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 20 years |
Table 2
Overview of Final Theme, Codes, Descriptions, and Representative Examples.
| CODE LEVEL | CODE NAME | CODE DESCRIPTION | DIRECT QUOTE | FINAL THEME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent Code | Parents’ Background | Participants’ parents’ backgrounds and educational and work trajectories, specifically their perseverance and hard work | “When I worked with my stepdad, he really taught me how to work quick, how to work, how to do things well, how he taught me a lot of work ethic. And that’s something I always value up to until this day. So anytime, any with any job, I’m usually one of the favorites because I just have that work ethic.” (Camilo). | Work Ethic |
| Subcode | Perseverance | Participants determination and resilience through difficult working conditions. | “My day-to-day during harvesting season looked like going to school and immediately going to work until sundown. I had very little time in the evenings to do homework and ensure I was studying properly for upcoming quizzes and exams in high school. I learned very quickly what work ethic meant along with the importance of being determined and continuously growing my passion for school.” (Maribel). | |
| Parent Code | Practical Skills | How parents fixed things around or within the context of the house, learning from accumulated bodies of knowledge | “My dad, he knows a lot, if it’s some basic plumbing, or doing some easy mechanical job like changing a filter, or replacing the brakes, or just fixing a wire… He rather does it himself rather than having to go and pay for it.” (Mariano). | Resourcefulness |
| Subcode | House Project | Participants’ experiences with house projects, typically related to building or remodeling | “My dad got this used… very almost teared down house, and he decided to remodel it… It did take him five years, so I would help him.” (Luisa). | |
| Parent Code | Social Intelligence | Social skills participants gained from home experiences, particularly communication abilities | “I speak Spanish, so being bilingual, it’s also a skill that has helped me get around because a lot of the time I can communicate better, I can relate better to someone that we’re trying to communicate with.” (Mariano). | Translational Skills |
| Subcode | Communication | Verbal communication abilities developed through language brokering and navigating institutions for parents | “I would be kind of the person to speak with other English speakers because my parents spoke with broken English… So, I would just be that middle person calling people… And so, I think that kind of started me with a bunch of business really early.” (Nayeli) | |
| Parent Code | Chores | Regular household activities and responsibilities performed by participants | “I did a mix of cleaning and taking care of my siblings… Me doing both things. I was cleaning, I was taking care of my siblings. I was also going to work and doing all those things.” (Luisa) | Organizational Skills |
| Subcode | Caregiving | Participants’ experience taking care of their siblings while parents worked | “It was my responsibility to pick up my little brother from school… I would be in charge of cleaning the living room, sweeping and vacuuming, as well as I would feed the dog.” (Antonio) | |
| Parent Code | Work Experience | Participants’ own work experiences with parents, especially agricultural labor requiring coordination | “When I worked with my parents picking apple… you have to be able to help your peers or your coworkers to help them get out their line.” (Maribel) | Teamwork |
| Subcode | On Campus | Work experiences participants gained while in college | “I think one of the main things is how me and my siblings would split up the chores. Engineering is an interdisciplinary thing, so you have to work with other people… We have to separate work and then bring it all together.” (Antonio) | |
| Parent Code | Social Intelligence | Interpersonal qualities like empathy developed from observing parents’ care and treatment of others | “My mom, the way that she talks to her trees is so cute… she’s just so caring with her work and generally cares about the wellbeing of her plants and stuff. And I think that’s a big thing that’s kind of stuck through me.” (Nayeli) | Empathetic Habits of Mind |
| Subcode | Empathy | Capacity to understand and care for others’ experiences and needs | “I think being kind, helping people out when they’re in need of help.” (Antonio) |