I was the
first person in my family to go to and graduate from college. It is something
that after all these years I am still incredibly proud of. My parents grew up
poor. Talking about it now, they both wanted an education but due to the
economic situation they both had to drop out of middle school to help feed
their families.
Graduating
from high school was mandatory; my parents always engrained this into me, and
my brother and sister’s lives. Even though they were never involved in our
education, due to language barriers and work commitments, it was always known
that we had to graduate from high school. And we did.
Going to
college was another story. My parents were supportive, but weary about me going
to college. Mostly because they didn’t know how to guide me and they knew
college was expensive. I was incredibly lucky to have positive role models in
my life that encouraged me to pursue post-secondary education and helped me
with the process. I was in Upward Bound during my Junior and
Senior year in high
school. This organization really made college possible for me. They took us on
campus visits, paid for us to take the ACT among other things that made me
think college was doable. With the help
of scholarships and federal financial aid I attended Muscatine Community
College for one year and then transferred to Iowa Wesleyan College (now Iowa
Wesleyan University) where I graduated with a BA in Liberal Arts.
For students
who are going to be first generation students I encourage you to seek people
that can help you with the college planning and financial aid process. It can
be quite confusing and if you don’t have a support system at home you need to
advocate for yourself and surround yourself with people who can walk you
through this process. I’m always available!!!
