“Physically present, but emotionally present, too”: Graduates of Colour developing emotional intelligence as student employees

Christopher Burnett; Zach Taylor

doi:10.21153/jtlge2025vol16no1art1892

Authors

Christopher A. Burnett Colorado College
Zach W. Taylor The University of Southern Mississippi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2025vol16no1art1892

Keywords:

Graduates of Colour, Students of Colour, college students, emotional intelligence, employability, career readiness, student employment, on-campus employment

Abstract

Despite a robust body of literature related to how institutions of higher education help prepare students for the workforce after graduation, little research has explored the lived experiences of Students of Colour as they reflect on their undergraduate employment as it relates to their development of marketable skills. Moreover, no studies have engaged with Graduates of Colour to understand whether they developed emotional intelligence as undergraduate student employees. To fill a considerable gap in the literature, this qualitative study, framed by Salovey and Mayer’s (1990) model of emotional intelligence, explored the undergraduate student affairs (student support) employment experiences of 12 Graduates of Colour (now professionals) to understand how they developed emotional intelligence to be more successful employees and leaders in their respective workplaces. The findings suggest Graduates of Colour developed all four tenets of emotional intelligence during their undergraduate employment experience, with direct impacts on their work in their careers. Implications for research and practice in universities are discussed.

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Author Biographies

Christopher A. Burnett, Colorado College

Director, Outdoor Education, Colorado College, Colorado, United States.
Zach W. Taylor , The University of Southern Mississippi

Assistant Professor, College of Education and Human Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi.

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