If you work on a college campus or with college students this post is for you.
I am a first generation college student who earned a Bachelor’s degree in six years by attending two universities. There were many academic lessons I learned by trial and error. My road was anything but linear. My parents and family expected me to go to college. They were supportive in the best way they knew how but not knowledgeable of the college application process. Even my friends who weren’t on the path to higher education expected me to go to college. I was Salutatorian of my high school class and my college application process is all a blur. I can’t remember the name of my guidance counselor but remember being in a crowded guidance office. I never went on a college tour to visit any of the colleges I applied to in my senior year. I vaguely remember a day my best friend (Valedictorian) and I were writing our college essays in the computer lab at school (we didn’t have computers at home) but honestly what I remember about this day is that both of us were feeling extremely stressed. We were in a program for gifted and talented students that I’m subtly and overtly promoted higher education. My teachers definitely expected me to go to college. I remember getting acceptance letters from more than a few schools. (I vividly remember the only rejection letter I received.) I only had one in-person college meeting and my best friend and I managed to get our interviews at the same time on the same time and traveled across town on public transportation together. We were smart, mature, and responsible (so we thought) and we attended the entrance meeting without our parents. Neither one of us attended this prestigious university because the financial assistance they offered didn’t even cover one fourth of the cost. Hindsight is 20/20 and we definitely should have taken our parents or another adult who knew what questions to ask to negotiate a better offer. I had not been Packaged For Success at that time.
My parents, grandparents, aunt, uncles, and neighbors didn’t attend college. I never went on a college tour or and don’t remember attending a college fair. I didn’t talk to any college admissions counselors or recruiters on the phone. I didn’t participate in any college preparation programs. My best friend (and academic supporter) was an Upward Bound participant and her older siblings had gone to college. I understood that I could make more money with a college degree and that I needed a college education to be a teacher or social worker but much of my desire to go to college came from watching “Hillman College” alumni and students on “The Cosby Show” and “A Different World” TV shows on NBC. During the eleven years that The Cosby Show and A Different World aired on television, the rates of students enrolled in higher education increased with enrollment in historically black colleges and universities seeing the greatest gains.
There are three takeaways I want college staff and professors to gain from this post:
- The needs of first generation college students are diverse and numerous
- Meet students where they are using their potentially unconventional reasons for wanting to attend college as motivation for their journey
- With determination and the right support all students can succeed
Nicki Sanders, Chief Visionary Officer of Packaged For Success, helps both youth and adults discover their personal power, dream big, and achieve success on their own terms. Ms. Sanders is an experienced trainer, group facilitator, and program manager who holds a Master’s degree in Social Work. Ms. Sanders has over fifteen years of direct experience with diverse populations in residential, school-based, and community based agencies.
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