In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused students living in rural areas to experience exacerbated educational disparities. This included familial financial stresses, which also pushed many migrant students living in rural communities to prioritize work over school. The pandemic shed light on educational disparities featured in rural public-school education systems. The purpose of the study was to examine how the education trajectory of students in rural communities had been affected by the social and economic impacts of COVID-19. To accomplish this purpose, we examined the extent to which familial needs impacted students’ post-high school educational plans, how financial strain influenced their post-graduation choices, and how students practiced resourcefulness and resilience despite experiences of economic hardship. In this community-based qualitative research project, we conducted semi-structured interviews with Eastern Washington high school seniors who are 18 years of age or older and used a phenomenological thematic analysis to gather themes related to our research questions. As part of the research, we collaborated with a community advisory committee composed of teachers and recent high school graduates from Eastern Washington communities to develop the project’s research methods and to ensure the analyses and interpretation of interviews are reflective of the students’ experiences. We predicted that students will plan to alter their post-high school paths to accommodate their families’ needs. Anti-racist - strength-based - frameworks were used to make academic support recommendations for students in rural communities. Ultimately, our study can help inform collaboration with community members to find solutions so we can best support students and encourage them as they navigate pathways after high school graduations.

According to the 1991-2015 Combined National Youth Behavioral Risk Surveys, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adolescents had rates of attempted suicide two times higher than non-Hispanic Whites. However, there is a great lack of research and resources dedicated to Pacific Islander mental health. This literature review seeks to understand the unique experiences of Pacific Islanders in regards to their mental health. I reviewed 10 research articles concerning mental health in the Pacific Islander community, with a focus on adolescence and emerging adulthood since this is a critical developmental period that impacts the lifetime health outcomes of a population. These studies range in focus from documenting personal experiences to general disparities that impact this population. In the literature, I found that Pacific Islander youth experienced higher rates of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and psychological distress in comparison to non-Hispanic whites and other minority groups like Hispanics in the United State. These findings signal that future research should focus on identifying and better understanding the risk and protective factors that impact mental health outcomes in Pacific Islander communities. This literature review helps summarize the small existing literature, identify gaps in research about Pacific Islander mental health, and inform future research questions.