“I made it through school when the world was almost falling apart”: pride, joy, and optimism in Black and Latinx young people’s experiences of emerging adulthood during the COVID-19 pandemic

We examine: (1) sources of pride/joy and optimism reported during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) the co-occurrence of sources of pride/joy and optimism among Black and Latinx emerging adults. Participants (Mage = 20; SD = 0.74) completed an online survey during the summer of 2021 (N = 257). They responded to two open-ended questions that asked about sources of pride/joy and hope. Their responses were inductively coded to identify content domains. A total of nine codes were identified and applied to all responses across both questions: Education; Career; Independence; Starting a Family; Success and Achievement; Wellness; Strength, Growth, and Fulfillment; Relationships; Humanitarian. The highest points of co-occurrence occured within content domain (e.g. responses to both questions mention "Education"). These findings highlight how college and career readiness programs might leverage diverse experiences of pride and joy to motivate young adults for their futures.