Low Income STEM College Student Experiences of Ecowellness

The rising rates of mental health issues among college students (WHO, 2022) can be compounded by the challenges of STEM (Henry et al., 2022) and any experiences of minority stress (Helling & Chandler, 2019), yet little research has been done on college student wellness (Beauchemin, 2018), in particular low income STEM college students. Moreover, the concept of ecowellness (Reese & Myers, 2012) is still new and growing within the field of counseling, indicating the need for further study and application. Previous authors have asserted the potential for nature-based social groups in supporting wellness (Adams & Morgan, 2018; Reese & Gosling, 2020). The purpose of this research study was to understand the ecowellness experiences of STEM college students who are recipients of a scholarship serving low income students. Using a phenomenological case study design (Vagle, 2018), I collected demographic information and interviewed 9 participants for the study then analyzed the data. Analysis involved constant comparative coding (Dye et al., 2000) followed by final development of the findings through iterative dialogue with two external reviewers. Analysis produced two major findings, ecology of wellness and nature as partner in nourishment, including five themes and 14 sub-themes. Implications of these results for higher education, STEM, and the counseling field are discussed, along with limitations of the study and recommendations for future research. Higher education stakeholders may consider employing nature-based social groups to promote the wellness, academic achievement, and career success of college students. The results of this study add to the understanding of the relationship between nature, access, and wellness for this case study of diverse low income STEM college students.