I am a Second Generation African-American Student, and I’m proud to say that my eagerness to learn is one of the many reasons for my academic success. Growing up in an African immigrant family, education has always been my prime focus due to the inspiration I’ve received from my parents. Because of that, all through my middle school journey at Sky Vista, I have set and accomplished many goals for myself. From the baseline of having a 3.5 GPA in 6th grade to always having a 4.0 GPA each quarter in the 7th and 8th grade. Now that my middle school years are slowly coming to an end, my eyes have been shifted to look forward to achieving greater academic things. As I am about to enter high school this year in August, I hope to be faced with many
First generation college students are those who are seeking to be the first in their family to earn a degree, according to UCLA. First- generation students can come from low, middle, or high income families without a history of going to college. Families of first generation students can either be supportive of the students plan for a high education or make them feel family pressure to enter the workforce right after high school like they did. First generation students often do not know their options regarding higher education and have fears about going to college and it’s cost. Currently, 42% of UC undergraduates are first generation.
Study conducted by Hicks (2006), compared educational barriers of first-generation to non-first-generation students; first-generation students had dissimilar expectations of college, poorer academic abilities, lack of social preparation, lack of self-esteem, and more financial constraints (Hicks, 2003; Thayer, 2000).
Being a first generation college student is a heavy load to carry due to the constant reminder of having to be a good role model for my siblings. Children of immigrants are often highly expected to excel in their academics and to be involved in extracurricular activities. His/her parent immigrated to the “Land of The Free” in order to receive a better life and to give their children a place to call home. They work from one to two jobs a week just so that we can dig through the pantry, and raid the refrigerator. We sometimes take our parents for granted unknowingly, and constantly fill our heads with a question that we all seem to ask. “How do I please my parents?”, “What do I have to do to make them happy?”. As students we should all be voicing “College!”. Yes, maybe our folks’s dreams have faded away, however that should be our motivation to aim higher; to achieve our American Dream. Throughout our years of education, our very own relatives and teachers have emphasized on the importance of receiving a higher education. I have come to realize that I should not be asking myself “How do I please my parents?”. Instead, “How do I please myself?”, “What will my lifetime goals be?”, “Will it leave my parents hard work in vain?”. Obtaining a higher education will not impact their lives, but will affect yours drastically. My American Dream has always been to become an immigration lawyer that deals with international relations or to become a professor teaching my true passion for
The achievements for which the graduation speaker praises recent graduates from the narrator’s school differ from the narrator’ hopes for herself and her classmates in the aspect of success and achievements. The speaker praises the whites when it comes to being successful in their field of endeavor and always given the priority in many facets of life. He even gave the bragging rights for them. He made them feel the racial discrimination where whites are being favored over the blacks like them. They get all the attentions and assistance unlike the colored people who are not given the good opportunities for their future. The whites make sure that they are superior in every step of the
Being admitted into college is a difficult process, one that requires students to be diligent in their studies, engage in a number of extracurricular activities, and overcome the everyday pressures and challenges that high-schoolers face across the country. Admittedly, not everyone in the United States is born with the same opportunities as socioeconomic factors as well as historic injustices have contributed to a society in which some people are far more likely to achieve upward mobility – of which, obtaining a college degree is a necessary part – than others. While there is need to rectify this reality,
As an incoming EOF (Educational Opportunity Found) freshmen attending Rutgers University this fall, I had the mindset that if I did well academically, the transition from high school to college would go by smoothly. Unfortunately, college isn 't that simple. The transition to college is much more complex than people perceive it to be, in my case, it’s the most difficult obstacle I’ve ever encountered. Therefore, my aspiration is to conquer this transitional period as quickly and fluently as possible. When I had to changeover from middle school to high school, I was terrified. I didn 't know what awaited me and how much different things were going to be. It turned out high school was exactly the same, with the exception of the grades being ninth through Twelfth. There was nothing to be worried about. On the other hand, that wouldn 't be the case in college.
A first-generation college student is the first person in a family to attend college or any type of secondary education. This title “first-generation college student” has created a stigma for so many students making their time in college more difficult than someone who has come from a family of college graduates. First-generation college students often find themselves lost and without the edge of students who come from parents and/or siblings who went to college.
From the start of high school, I have driven myself to be successful. Not only to make my parents proud and get recognition from colleges, but also as goal for myself. During freshman year I was awarded the Golden Hark Award for demonstrating positive leadership skills. Additionally, I have gotten the highest honor roll every semester of high school, and currently have a 4.021 cumulative GPA. Throughout my high school years
Earning a college degree has long been considered—one of the major keys in achieving the American Dream. However, contrary to popular belief, that theory has been proven invalid. According to a recent study from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRBOSL), “Education does not help black and Hispanic college graduates protect their wealth the same way that it does for their white and Asian counterparts.”
I think that your third one would be a huge draw for black students on campus. There is a group that I know of that is centered on social justice issues concerning black people in America. I think that if we were able to get the flier and word out ( we could use those screens that usually advertise events on campus), there should be some willingness to participate from the group. I think the BSU would also be interested in this as well as the black fraternity and sorority. I know we can reach the greek students through Deborah (from bible study) and we can reach the BSU through Kandra (on the choir). I know Che (on the choir) is in the group I wrote about earlier and I also have the group leader's contact info if you need it. Concerning the panelists, we could invite Pastor Eric Mason, Pastor Terry Davis or his wife Pastor Pamela Davis and Pastor Gregory Ross. I'm not sure if you would be interested in having a more diverse group of panelists or if you'd prefer to have just black panelists since the topic is geared towards black students.
After reading a short section about African American male educational struggles, I wanted to learn more about the obstacles they face and what is being done to bridge the achievement gap. Throughout the semester I have been learning a lot about the importance of multicultural education, therefore I wanted to dive deeper into African American culture and understand why many Black male students are not successful in the American educational system compared to White and Asian American students. Furthermore, as a future teacher, I thought it would be helpful to research this topic, since it is still a prominent issue facing African American communities today. The more I know and understand the challenges, the greater the chance I will become part
The faculty developed a system of support to advocate the academic and personal success for each student by utilizing the academy theme. The incoming freshman has a personal transition plan, which sets the foundation for their high school career. The personal transition plan also enable students to develop passion and deepen their purpose for life. To increase college and career readiness for economically disadvantaged and underrepresented students, the Early College program is an example of tweaking the personalized learning pathway to change the trajectory of the
Three ideas for teachers to support new immigrant students in a classroom will be images and games, friendly conversation, and the power of stories. When it comes to images and games, teachers should decorate their classroom or school walls with photos of diverse role models, including those of immigrants (Burnett, 2015). As a teacher, you should make sure your class is unique and comfortable for young students. When I become a teacher, I will make sure I decorate my class and make it colorful. Furthermore, I will have some type of diverse theme in my class so I can make all students feel welcome in my class and welcome by me. Now when it comes to friendly conversations, teachers should create mixed-student small groups. Students may feel
This campus is only comprised of a little over 7% black students. That in itself can make black students feel skeptical about coming here over an HBCU or a more ethnically diverse institution. BSRT has to show incoming / accepted black freshman black culture at Georgia Tech. With the minute population of Black students, that might be their hardest challenge to overcome.
In high school, students face and have to overcome many adversities in their four short years of high school. This is the time where teenagers find who they are and set their sights on their futures. If they