Date
9-25-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership
Chair
Richard Segovia
Keywords
Passion, academic success, college success, source of passion, types of passion, aligning passion with majors, academic resilience, life fulfillment, success during and after college, grit, flow, parents' engagement, discovering passion, students' lived experience with passion, and joy of learning.
Disciplines
Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Dieudonne, Mesack, "Fueled To Succeed: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study on the Passion of Students in Pursuit of Success During and After College Life" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7502.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7502
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe college students' experiences with passion while studying in a higher education setting in Florida. For this study, passion will be defined as a natural penchant that leads an individual to highly value something or someone, increasing persistence and thus leading to success. The theory underpinning this study is Vallerand's dualistic model of passion (DMP). The central research question guiding this research is as follows: How do college students describe their experiences with passion while studying in a higher education setting in Florida? Transcendental phenomenology was selected as the qualitative research design to give voice to students who have experienced passion while studying in college, which will result in various subjective meanings. The sample of this research study consists of 10 to 15 current and former college students who have experienced the phenomenon of passion to pursue success in college and life. The research was conducted at multiple sites, including the Grace and Truth University campus, for ethnicity and cultural representation purposes. Individual interviews, focus groups, and qualitative questionnaires were selected as data collection methods to achieve triangulation. The data collected was analyzed using Moustakas' (1994) modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method, leading to respondents' descriptions of lived experiences, uncovering significant findings. These findings either confirm and add to the existing literature or expand the theory underpinning the research study, including but not limited to the positive effect of passion on academic success, the role of a support system affirms and strengthens students' passion, the effect of passion on post-college success, and the role of faith in discovering, confirming, and strengthening passion.
