This is my personal story of an upward strive toward the degree and credentials that would eventually free me from a life of bleakness in the factories. I did not have the full support of family during my journey. If my account of life as a first generation college student helps or inspires even one person out there, then my effort to capture my thoughts into the written word is worth it to me.
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First generation college students often have educational experiences that greatly differ from those of their classmates who come from more educated families. I was one of those students who had been the first in my immediate family to complete college, and as a result, I faced issues that were unfamiliar to many of my counterparts. Today's common definition of the first-generation student is still derived from the coined definition and refers to a student who is the first in his/her family (mother, father, or siblings) to complete a college education (Payne, 2007).
My mother and father finished high school in the mid 1970s, entered the entry-level workforce immediately after graduating, and married a few years later. Although my mother attended a trade school to train to become a paralegal when she was 18 years old, she dropped out of the program after seven months. I am their only child.
My academic performance was better than average during my growing-up years and I graduated from high school with a 3.5 grade point average in the late 1990s. Although I was accepted to three regional state universities during my senior year of high school, my parents refused to provide any financial information on the FAFSA. They strongly discouraged me from attending university, and since my identity was not completely formed in my late teens, I abandoned my dreams of college and instead worked a string of dead-end jobs well into my early twenties.
I briefly attended the local community college when I was 19 and 20 years old and paid for the classes with my hard-earned money while working 40 hours per week. My father would ask, "What classes are you taking?" He would roll his eyes and scowl once he found out I was enrolled in general education courses such as science, English, history, and so on. "What kind of job will a science class get you?" he demanded to know.
Due to their almost nonexistent college experience, my parents were unaware of general education requirements that must be completed before one even can enroll in courses specific to a degree program. They had no clue about the number of college credits one must complete before earning an associates degree, or bachelors degree, or so forth. They did not know that the typical college course is worth about three or four credits.
Most importantly, no one in their circle of friends or acquaintances had any education beyond a high school diploma. The only college-educated people with whom they came into contact included the teachers at my schools, the physicians at their doctors offices, and the engineers who supervised them at the factories where they worked. The idea of their daughter attending college was nothing more that a truncated notion that cost lots of money with no guarantee of remuneration. On the other hand, my acquaintances who had academically-oriented families were all expected to graduate from college with full support and guidance from parents every step of the way.
My successes in school really took off once I moved out of my parent's household and depended on myself for support. I completed an LVN program, then an RN program, and now my mother and father finally see where college education can take a person in life. I'm glad to say that they are proud of my achievements.
Some first generation college students are fortunate to receive abundant encouragement and support from their families of origin. Too commonly, however, other families actively discourage the first generation student from pursuing higher education. Parents, siblings, and friends who have no experience of college or its rewards may be non-supportive or even obstructionist (Hsiao, 1992).
40 percent of all pupils in institutions of higher learning in America are first generation college students, so we are a force to be reckoned with and will continue this ascent in the future. Some of us were raised in households where the college culture is viewed as unknown and alien; therefore, we have more obstacles to overcome than our classmates who hail from families who can help them navigate the maze of higher education.
This is my personal story of an upward strive toward the degree and credentials that would eventually free me from the bleakness of life in the factories. If my account of life as a first generation college student helps or inspires even one person out there, then my effort to capture my thoughts into the written word is worth it to me. Keep striving toward the pot at the end of that rainbow because the prize is more gratifying than you'll ever know.
