Navigating without a Compass: How Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Physical Therapist Students Persist in Higher Education

This study explores the forms of community wealth culturally and linguistically diverse learners leverage to persist in higher education and become physical therapists. Researchers conducted focus groups with 36 physical therapy students whose primary language was not English, who self-identified as a racial or ethnic minority, or were born outside of the United States. These interviews identified the following themes: finding your way without a compass, adopting a new culture, the costs of becoming a physical therapist, and a bigger purpose. Participants leveraged many forms of community cultural wealth to navigate higher education but experienced culture shock and had to adopt a new culture to succeed in a foreign environment. They were motivated by the opportunity to give back to their families and communities by serving as Doctors of Physical Therapy.