What is your hometown? Rancho Cucamonga, cA
What colleges did you attend? Degrees earned? Chaffey Community College - A.A & A.S.
Cal State San Bernardino - B.S.
University of Redlands - MAM
What motivated you to go to college? When I was 29, I was a mother of 3 young children, with a husband that worked very hard to provide for all of us. He often worked 12 hour days, 7 days a week, doing physically hard labor (tile installation). I wanted to help him support our family and allow him to be home more often. I knew that if I was going to sacrifice time away from my family, it would need to pay off in more than dollars. I wanted to provide an example to my family about how important education was and the doors that could be opened. I knew that I could find a way to convert "learning how to learn" to career opportunities.
Describe your college experience as first-generation. When I first started taking college classes, right after high-school, I had to do it all by myself. My parents were in the middle of a divorce, and with 5 siblings, they just did not have the financial means to help me with college costs. That first attempt ended with incomplete courses and what I thought was the end of my college experience.
Years later, when my kids were young and my brain needed to be fed, my husband encouraged and financially supported me in my return to college. His encouragement turned into pride each time I finished a class. My parents were also proud and shared my success with their friends and our extended family. I had so many caring and engaged instructors (specifically Bonnie Lambert and Eva Rose) that helped me figure out how to navigate courses and pointed me towards the goal of attaining a bachelor's degree as a way to benefit my family. It was an awesome experience thanks to all my cheerleaders and supporters.
What unique challenges did you face? One early challenge I encountered was while I was a high-school student. I had applied to and been accepted to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles between my junior and senior year. I was so excited! That is until I found out that I would have to pay foreign student rates because I was an 'illegal alien.' I was born in Canada and my parents never took the necessary steps to ensure that I became an American citizen. It was at this time that I started the process to be a naturalized citizen. Unfortunately, the process was slow (although, fast by today's standards) and I could not get naturalized in time to start school after graduation without paying outrageous enrollment fees. So I never started at FIDM. It took over 3 years before I could take the oath of citizenship and become documented. By this time, I was no longer on an education path. I was more interested in becoming a wife and mother and felt I didn't need college. That door had closed and I had opened a new one.
Then there are the common challenges. My family did not have financial resources (my parents first, and then our own family next) to pay for college. Additionally, when I was young, college was not really emphasized for me and my siblings. We were taught to work hard and provide for ourselves, but college was not really a key component of those teachings. My 5 siblings followed in the steps of my parents and never completed college
I had friends teach me about applying for financial aid, specifically the Board of Governors Fee Waiver (now called the CALIFORNIA COLLEGE PROMISE GRANT) which greatly reduced the cost to attend. I had one little one in school, so I had to find affordable day care, some of which was at the college and some from friends.
Aside from costs, another challenge was finding time to study. This was because I could not stay at school to use the library or other resources very often due to needing (and wanting) to be with my kids. I had to wait until everyone was fed and put to bed before I could study. Most of my assignments were completed between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am.
How did you overcome those challenges? Most of us have heard the saying that 'it takes a village.' Luckily, I had a supportive village that would provide day care and even provide rides and meals from time to time. My husband would take on more jobs to pay for books and supplies. He encouraged me to be the 'smart one' in the family and learn more to earn more. His constant support was definitely one of the most important contributions to me earning each of my degrees. When I was ready to stop (after my bachelor degree), he again encouraged me to keep moving forward in education. His inability to finish his college degree was a big motivator for him to help me complete any education I desired. I cannot thank him enough for all his sacrifices for my and our family's benefit.
Also knowing the example I was setting for my children was a big motivator. I graduated with my Master's Degree in Management the same year that my oldest daughter graduated from high school. It was a fun time to celebrate together. All three of my children have since earned college degrees and have wonderful careers thanks to their education.
What did you advise other first-generation students? Never let what was done or not done by those before you stop you from trying. You are unique and can reach your goals!
Learn about all the resources available for students. Here are just a few that every student should learn about: Financial aid, tutoring and mentoring, mental and physical health care, meals and housing resources, and instructor office hours. Use the resources that are available to help you succeed!
