Why Did They Not Drop Out? Narratives from Resilient Students

There is much to be learned from students who were at-risk for dropping out of school but persevered and graduated. The purpose of the study on which this article is based, was to describe how students who were at-risk for dropping out of school persevered and graduated. The voices of two students are introduced, highlighting the challenges they faced with their parents’ divorce being the most significant. Some students were also confronted with learning difficulties while others were faced with mental health issues. Through discourse analysis, three protective strategies were found. Resilient students banked on relationships, showed healthy self-esteem and self-efficacy, and reached decisions aimed at keeping them on a trajectory towards graduation.