What is your hometown? Los Angeles, CA
What colleges did you attend? Degrees earned? UC Los Angeles - B.A. Sociology, & Minor in Chicana/o Studies
CSU Long Beach - M.S. Counseling, Student Development in Higher Education
CSU Fullerton - Ed.D. Educational Leadership
What motivated you to go to college? My parents. My parents sacrificed so much for my siblings and I to have better opportunities. My parents came to the US from Mexico as undocumented immigrants and struggled to navigate a new culture and language. Whenever I felt like giving up in college, I would think of my parents and the risks they took to give me a chance to sit in a classroom.
Describe your college experience as first-generation. It was not easy as being first gen means you are the first to go through the college experience and it was overwhelming at times. What really helped me was the support from friends (who were also first gen) and how we would help each other with understanding how college works, sharing things we learned along the way, and sharing resources (we would take classes together and share our notes, books, etc.).
What unique challenges did you face? In addition to being first gen, I was also low-income. My parents did not have the money to help me with college expenses (like books) so I had to work two jobs. I qualified for work-study and took advantage of getting a job on-campus. Often, I would think – is college worth it? should I just work full-time to help out my family. I realized that going to college was a privilege and often felt guilty for being away from home, while my parents struggled financially. Another challenge was explaining to my parents why college was important to me and helping them understand why I had to study at all hours and late into the morning. Balancing home responsibilities with college responsibilities was very difficult.
How did you overcome those challenges? I took out loans to help me financially. I also improved my study and time management skills in order to balance multiple roles. I came to realize that my parents did support me in different ways (like my mom making me a sandwich while I studied or making a pot of coffee or my dad checking the oil and tires on my car). What really made the difference for me was my friends (who were also in college) and having that community to vent to, cry with, share accomplishments and disappointments with. It made my college experience not feel so lonely and isolated because it can be, but having a community makes a world of difference.
What did you advise other first-generation students? Be proud of your story and where you come from. There may be times when you feel overwhelmed, that’s ok- it’s part of this process. Make sure to connect with other students and programs for support and motivation. You already have a lot of strengths within you that will guide you, you are the first but not the last.
