Many undergraduate students are first generation students. There is a total of 1,211 undergraduate students at CUC. Out of those students, 609 of them are first generation students. Most undergraduate students come from lower income families. In 2013 a woman named Laila Mccloud was the founding director of Multicultural Student Engagement. She created the group Trailblazers which represent first generation students. Many of these students face challenges when first attending college.
First generation students are the pioneers of their family. They are also role models to their younger siblings. Since their parents didn’t go to college, it makes it difficult for students to get the resources they need. They may feel shy to ask faculty members.
A sophomore named Cindy Gomez was relieved to find out that there were other first-generation students in her classes.
“Being a first-generation student was hard because I lacked resources, needed to meet expectations, and I felt alone,” she said.
To know other students face the same challenges helps students feel accepted. Administrators want to welcome and make students feel at ease when they first enter college. Freshman who are first generation students have resilience when they first start college according to Mia Garcia.
“They don’t exactly know what to ask for,” she said.
CUC administrators give freshman the option to have a coach that will help them feel more comfortable on campus. Everyone has a different experience in college.
“Media promotes a different image compared to reality,” said Mia Garcia.
College students have a pull that puts them into two different directions when they are balancing school with work. Not all college students have the luxury to live on campus. Media doesn’t reflect that enough to incoming college students. When entering they may have a totally different idea of how college life really is.
There are some disadvantages first generation students have. A woman named Blanca Gutierrez from the Multicultural Student Engagement Department was also a first-generation student.
“I worked three jobs and was a full-time student. It was hard to balance work, school, and studying. Financial burdens were quite challenging,” she said.
She felt that school was taking money from her family. Blanca really wanted to help and contribute.
Many college students work several hours just so they can pay for school. Having that burden on their shoulders can also affect their grades at school. Some first-generation students may drop out of school because of financial troubles and when they don’t have support from their parents at home.
First generation students create a legacy for their families. They find courage, strength, and passion to extend their learning career. It takes some time to get used to, but in the end these students can exceed in school just like second generation students can. Each year increasing numbers of first-generation students proceed to college.
