Quest for Purpose in Education: An Autoethnographic Study of a Chinese Student’s Cross- Cultural Journey through Logotherapy and Culturally Relevant Leadership

This autoethnography examines a Chinese student's search for meaning while transitioning between Chinese and U.S. academic systems, shaped by the interplay of cultural values, societal pressures, and personal agency. Guided by Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy and Culturally Relevant Leadership (CRL), the study uses reflexive narrative analysis to explore how this personal quest for purpose intersected with institutional structures and cultural contexts (e.g., St. John's College, University of New Mexico). Illuminating profound challenges—including cultural shock, systemic inequities, and the emotional toll of adaptation—the research reveals a transformative journey of navigating dissonance, reframing adversity, embracing a dual cultural identity, and ultimately finding meaning through resilience and agency. By connecting individual meaning-making to systemic CRL practices, the study offers actionable insights derived from lived experience for supporting international students' growth, purpose, and belonging, contributing to discourses on cross-cultural education, resilience, and leadership.