What is your hometown? El Salvador
What colleges did you attend? Degrees earned? Mt. San Antonio College 2004 - A.A. Liberal Arts
UC Riverside 2006 - B.A. Sociology
CSU Long Beach - M.S. Counseling: Student Development in Higher Education
What motivated you to go to college? My mother was the person who motivated me to go to college because she always told me that she wanted me to have a better future than what she had. When she came to this country undocumented, she did not have much of a choice than to work to support her 3 children she had left back in El Salvador. I remember I was only 7 years old and I always questioned why she had to leave me, but as I matured and came to understand the sacrifice my mother made to come to this country, I understood that the love of a mother cannot be compared or replaced by anything. Thus, my mother has been and continues to be my inspiration and motivation to thrive because I said that I wanted to take advantage of all the opportunities she couldn't, one because of her status and two because of being a parent and a widow at the age of 22. Lastly, another thing that motivated me to go to college was the fact that education in the U.S. was open to those of us that are unprivileged in many ways and who through our hard work and dedication we earn our opportunity. I wanted so badly and thanks to my mother and my family and to financial aid, I was able to go to college. I am the only one in my family to have ever gone to college and now my nieces look up to me and they also want to go to college. It feels amazing to now be able to guide them through that process.
Describe your college experience as first-generation. My college experience as a first-generation college student was difficult because I did not know how to navigate the higher education system. Having attended Bassett High School, a school where the culture may not be college bound, I was fortunate to have my counselor, Hector Armas, who truly cared about me going to college and who did not mind talking to me in Spanish because, at the time I graduated from high school, I had only been in this country for years. I consider myself lucky because I joined the Bridge Program, and I can honestly say that because of this program, I was able to obtain the different tools and resources that allowed me to succeed in college. When I started college in the year 2000, I was lost, and the staff at Bridge guided me and assisted me and became my true bridge to my success. I still remember starting in basic skills courses, AMLA for English and Lern 49 for Math. I had to work my way up, and although this was difficult because I spent 4 years at Mt. SAC, at the same time I think my time here allowed me to learn about a lot of resources and services, which I utilized as much as I could. I can say with full honesty that Mt. SAC is an amazing place and that when you, as a student, allow people to help you, then you will have an amazing experience, just like I did. I can also say that getting involved with campus clubs and organizations and also working on campus made a huge difference for me, so when I transferred, I had obtained a better understanding of how higher education worked, and because of that, I thrived at UCR. Although at the beginning, I still had a few challenges, all the training at Mt. SAC and my mentors would support me, so within a year and a half, I had finished my degree. Then came my Master's program, and the imposter syndrome came back at the beginning because I had doubts about my abilities, but with support from my peers, mentors, and supporters, I was able to once again thrive. Thus, what I learned through all of these processes is that as a first-generation, one would always be the first generation, whether in undergraduate or graduate school. Now I am considering going back to school in a few years, so let's see how that turns out.
What unique challenges did you face? Not knowing where to go for help was a big challenge I had and not being able to turn to my family because they did not understand higher education. Also, my writing skills had to be improved and I still remember how frustrating it used to be not being able to be a good writer. However, I did seek support at the various writing centers and also with some of my friends whose English was their first language. So not only did I have to navigate the higher education system but also learn English at the same time. Luckily for me, I found amazing people who were willing to help me. Transportation was another big issue for me because I had to take the bus the entire time I was at Mt. SAC and even after I transferred to UCR, I still depended on my parents to take me to school because I did not have a car. Being from a low-income family, money was an issue and at times I had to decide between eating a good meal or saving some money so I could help my parents pay for rent. Lastly, self-doubt is something I had to overcome and it took me a while to accept myself for the human being that I am.
How did you overcome those challenges? I overcame many of my challenges by becoming vulnerable and asking others for help because I was raised to not let others know what is happening at home, so sharing that we were struggling financially or sometimes to make ends meet was a big challenge. But with time, I learned that it was okay to receive support and that there were many people who truly cared about helping others and I think that is the reason I went into the helping field because I wanted to make a difference for people. I have been working in higher education for 13 years now and I can say that it is the most rewarding career I could have chosen. Being a counselor now allows me to help students who like me had many challenges, but knew that education was going to bring opportunities.
What did you advise other first-generation students? My advice for other first-generation college students is to keep moving forward and stay motivated to know that we are here to help you in your transition. I would advise them to also get mentors, and supporters, and to foster those relationships because I can say that my best friends now are the people I went to college with. My mentors from then, continue to be my supporters and my friends. I would also say to not give up in the process and even if it means taking things a day at a time but keep going. Have your goals present. You are a change agent and will be the determining factor to change things for the next generations to come. I know going through college as a first-generation can be overwhelming and intimidating, but remember, when in doubt reach out! When you think you can't make it, push yourself one more time, when you think there is no end to a situation, look at the light at the end of the tunnel. Many of us have been there and although our experiences are different, know that you are not alone, we care about you. I care about you. You are the future.
