Personal Narrative: My First Generation College

Growing up in a Hispanic household has shaped and built my values in life. At Appleton North High School, I am one out of the few Hispanic students. Knowing that my parents have migrated to America to give me a better future has motivated me to make it happen. Although, as a Mexican-American, I have felt out of place as a minority. However, with time I learned to accept my cultural differences. In fact, to this day, I thank my widowed father for the sacrifices and greater opportunities he has given me. My goal is to keep representing the few Hispanic students in college by working hard to achieve my career goals; not all Hispanics are fortunate enough to attend college. I also work to inspire young Hispanics to find their potential and follow

Coming into the University I didn’t know what to expect, especially with taking 16 hours, and Comp being one of them. Being a first generation college student, has been rough especially since my older sister exceeded my parents expectations. I believe I am capable of succeeding in anything I set my mind to. I have always struggled with English/Writing since English is my second language. Many people tend to get surprised when I tell them I learned English at the age of 4, since they believed English would be my first language since I was born in the United States. Long story short, English is my second language because I was raised by my grandparents, since my parents always dedicated their time to work to provide us with a better future.

In a 2004 journal by Susan Auerbach, the concept of parental influence and support for Latina/o students is addressed. Auerbach shares that, “Research suggests the pivotal role of parents in promoting students’ college going” (Auerbach, p.127). It is no mystery that parents have great influence over their children, and when a parent is uneducated on how to best advise their child regarding higher education, they are unable to use this influence to encourage attendance. Auerbach states, “Families without a tradition of college going do not have sufficient knowledge to help their children navigate pathways to college” (Auerbach, p.140). According to the Latino Eligibility Study, the single most important barrier to college access for Latino students in California is lack of active knowledge of the steps needed to go to college (Gandara, 1998,2002). Parents of first generation students need tools that can aid in the child’s success and serve as a means of knowledge on what can be a challenging and confusing process. Another issue tied to parent involvement and understanding is that, “Poor and working class Latino families come to college preparation relatively late in students’ careers, with fewer resources and more obstacles” (Auerbach, p.136). The journal supports the idea that Latino/a parents are in need of early access to college preparation education in order to be able to challenge and support their

they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please

Higher education is a vital aspect to achieve success in employment, economic security, and the welfare of the Latino community. The Latino community in the United States finds that the educational experience is an accumulated disadvantage. As discrepancies become more discernable, there are social and economic factors that structure the retention of Latinos in higher education. Prior research shows that Latino students are often disproportionally disadvantaged to attaining higher education. The impediments of the Latinos are comprised of language barriers, lack of information about certain resources, and parent’s lack of human capital to actively support their children’s educational needs. More than often, Latinos are often uninformed about the right ways to navigate the educational system. There are explicit challenges in society and economy that the Latino population face more profoundly than any other group, and it is important to study the specific challenges of this group and what can be done to promote their success in a higher level of education. As this population continues to grow, it is essential to acknowledge what research has found about Latinos’ strong beliefs of the value of a college diploma and how this aspiration of attaining higher education falls short to being achieved due to limiting socioeconomic factors that can be amended.

During my first year as a college student, I was introduced to First Generation Student Association. FGSA was a student organization aiming to make the transition to college smoother for all first generation students. At first, I was a member however, September of my sophomore year I was voted in as President. As president I planned workshops such as FSFA renewal, study abroad information sessions and socials. During my junior year, as treasurer I applied for funding, and worked with the executive team and advisers to plan the budget for the school year. The experience gained through this organization has allowed me to understand what the needs are for first generation students as well as students who need assistance in navigating the complicated

I chose to come to community college because I felt it would better benefit me. Most four year universities have difficult obstacles to overcome. Distractions like parties, and other social things can be hard to ignore. For better focus and judgment I chose to come to Faulkner state. Also, I heard good things about the college on how they didn’t tolerate parties and the use of alcohol or drugs and the instructors have good relationships with their students, and to this day I find that very true. Another thing is when I was in the industrial contracting industry I knew going back to school was going to make me happy and make me feel like I had a purpose for my calling in the medical field of radiology. I knew I would feel fulfilled and it would

This community college is where I began my educational expedition. It provided the fundamentals and course work I needed to grasp the concept of education. The school program much more than on campus and off campus enrichments, they offered my first online courses that open my mind to new possibilities to learn. The elated and engaged program brought to light a magnificent way of learning. It was astonishing to be able to take classes at home in addition to school. Furthermore, the completion of the program successfully aided as I continued to a university with the skills and knowledge to be successful through hard work and determination.

Before joining GCU University, I studied at Suffolk Community College. Then I enrolled in Saint Joseph College where I only studied on weekends throughout the day. I liked the experience at Suffolk Community College because it was the place where I took my first English classes, and I learned the language. I took the academic courses towards to obtain an Associate degree. I did not like the experience at Saint Joseph. The instructors sent tasks and research to be done on week days. It was impossible for me to meet my classmates in the business hours because we all worked. My perception was the program had not been designed for an adult-oriented class because it functioned as a regular class. My favorite teacher was who taught me English Grammar

As a first-generation Latina college graduate, I faced some tough obstacles while getting my degrees, but looking at what students are currently facing, I don’t think I had it nearly as hard as they do right now. It’s counterintuitive that it would be more difficult to navigate the higher educational system today than it was 20+ years ago, but that’s what seems to be happening; and with the new administration in Washington, I sense the pendulum is swinging even further away from access for those in already underserved and underprivileged

Going to a private school with my brother, I wasn't prepared for the financial difficulties that would arise for my family and I. After getting accustomed to the my classes, professors, and curriculum my freshman year; I fell in love with Baylor. I didn't think my family would struggle to make ends meet. By my sophomore year, my parents got into an accident and hospital expenses would force both my brother and I to a community college. Due to the uniqueness of my major in Texas and my goal to graduate in four years, I was determined to finish at Baylor. I began working as much as I could to help relief some of the finances off of my parents. My summers went to balancing classes and working full-time to raise money for the upcoming school year.

On September 6, 2017, Pine High School hosted the annual Washington Parish College/Career Fair. Schools such as Varnado, Franklinton, and Mount Hermon came to gain information about different colleges as well. Many Universities, Community Colleges, and local businesses joined us.

As the letters and emails flooded in from colleges and universities across the United States, it seemed like an overwhelming task to choose just one. Selecting aspects of each college and reassembling them, I found myself crafting an idealization of my perfect institution. In my mind, this perfect college was a place of rigorous coursework and extensive academic opportunities. Additionally, this school was an incredibly diverse community of different social, cultural, and intellectual perspectives - thus challenging me to think beyond the dogma of my own upbringing. Furthermore, it was a  liberal-arts college where I could gain the holistic, interdisciplinary education to apply my studies of chemistry to the interconnected modern world, and

The first time I met my boyfriend was the first day I came to centennial college to take my test. When I arrive at the classroom, no one was there, so I decided to buy a cup of coffee. When I came back from the cafeteria, there was no room for sitting on the sofa which is in front of the classroom's door, so I have to sit on the other one which is a little far from the door. After I sat down, a guy holding a cup of coffee came over. I can still remember that he was choked somehow and started to cough after he drunk the coffee in front of me! Honestly, I was shocked, but too shy to ask whether he is fine or not since it had a poor English. Fortunately, he was fine after about one minute. Maybe, he was also too shy to keep walking because his

In the year of 2008, my grandma passed away. My family had a feeling she was gonna leave us one day but not so soon. She was the most caring and loving women that I ever met in my life. My whole life I called her “Grandma K” for her being my dad’s mom. Seeing her go was a lot for me take on with me being only eight years old. I couldn’t understand on why she had to leave. I would ask my parent’s “Why did she have to go so soon?” they would continue to tell me she’s in a better place now.