{"id":225021,"date":"2024-11-08T14:40:12","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T19:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=225021"},"modified":"2024-11-11T11:42:34","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T16:42:34","slug":"student-voices-what-i-wish-i-knew-as-a-first-generation-college-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2024\/11\/08\/student-voices-what-i-wish-i-knew-as-a-first-generation-college-student\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Voices: What I Wish I Knew as a First-Generation College Student"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>At Montclair State University, where 42% of this fall\u2019s incoming students were first-generation, students reflected on what they wish they\u2019d known at the start of their college journeys. In honor of National First-Generation Celebration Day on November 8, students and alumni shared advice \u2014 from building a support network to navigating financial aid \u2014 to help other first-gen students thrive at Montclair and beyond.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Meet Our Students\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Sarai Nam<\/strong>, <strong>Senior<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Major:<\/strong> Social Media and Public Relations<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Award:<\/strong> Inaugural Trailblazer Award, Office of Student Belonging, First Generation Initiatives\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Activities:<\/strong> Orientation leader, University Fellow, College for Community Health representative, Tri-Alpha and PRSSA member<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Dulce Meneses, Senior, <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bloomfield College of Montclair State University<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Major:<\/strong> Biology<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Award:<\/strong> Inaugural Trailblazer Award, Office of Student Belonging, First Generation Initiatives<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Activities:<\/strong> Resident advisor, Association of Latin American Students vice president, McNair Scholar, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, admission ambassador and Greek Council Executive Board member<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Andrew Suarez, Senior<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Major:<\/strong> Exercise Science<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Activities:<\/strong> Montclair Veterans President<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Sara Castiblanco, Sophomore<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Major:<\/strong> Psychology<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Activities<\/strong>: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Next Generation Service Corps, Neuropsychology Club, University Fellow<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">Angela Castro, Junior <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Major:<\/strong> Child Advocacy and Policy<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p2\"><strong><span class=\"s2\">Activities:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"s1\"> Latin American Student Organization vice president, Office of Commuter Life student mentor, Omega Phi Chi Multicultural Sorority, Commuter Student Advisory Board, Future Professionals in Student Affairs Program<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Alumni and Staff Voices<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Claudio Josuel Alejo &#8217;19 MA<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Assistant Director, Montclair\u2019s First-Generation Initiatives<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Alvert Hernandez<\/strong> <strong>\u201918 MA<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Assistant Dean for the Center of Inclusive Excellence at Moravian University<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_225034\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Claudio-Josuel-Alejo-110724_20315_First-Gen-Program.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Claudio-Josuel-Alejo-110724_20315_First-Gen-Program.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"Claudio Josuel Alejo\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Claudio Josuel Alejo \u201919 MA, assistant director of Montclair\u2019s First-Generation Initiatives, offers this advice: \u201cAsking for help early is a strength, not a weakness.\u201d (Photo by Mike Peters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Building a Supportive Community<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Sarai:<\/strong> \u201cAs a first-generation student, it\u2019s really important to build a supportive community because college isn\u2019t something you should go through alone. Connecting with people who have experience in your field is invaluable for your success.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Andrew:<\/strong> \u201cNavigating college without family members who attended can be challenging. Seeking mentorship from professors, advisors, and peers made a big difference for me. Having their support helped me find my direction and eased the stress.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Sara:<\/strong> \u201cProfessors are here to teach, but they\u2019re also willing to help us with questions. Asking for help costs nothing, and it prevents mistakes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_225035\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Dulce-Meneses-110724_19748_First-Gen-Program.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Dulce-Meneses-110724_19748_First-Gen-Program.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"Dulce Meneses\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dulce Meneses, a senior Biology major at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, says her hardest hurdle \u201cwas not being able to understand what I was doing or what I was getting myself into. Definitely take that leap of faith.\u201d (Photo by Mike Peters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Taking Charge of Your College Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Angela:<\/strong> &#8220;The hardest thing for me to navigate as a first-generation student was knowing how to ask for the help and resources I needed. Often, first-gen students feel alone in handling academic and school-related challenges because our parents lack experience in these areas. As a result, we hesitate to ask for support. Looking back, I wish I had sought more guidance early on in my college journey.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Sara:<\/strong> \u201cCompleting college applications and FAFSA was difficult for me because I had to do it alone \u2014 my mother doesn\u2019t speak English. I wish I\u2019d known there are YouTube tutorials to help first-gen students fill out financial aid applications step by step.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Claudio:<\/strong> \u201cAs a first-gen and the oldest sibling, I was conditioned to figure everything out alone. But I didn\u2019t have to. Asking for help early is a strength, not a weakness. I wish I\u2019d taken advantage of that sooner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Embracing Opportunities and Growth<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Dulce:<\/strong> \u201cTaking a leap of faith was scary, especially during COVID, but moving away and living on campus put me on the path I\u2019m on today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Alvert: <\/strong>\u201cLean into conversations you find uncomfortable because that\u2019s really where the growth happens.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_225033\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Alvert-Hernandez-110724_20045_First-Gen-Program.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/11\/Alvert-Hernandez-110724_20045_First-Gen-Program.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"Alvert Hernandez\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alvert Hernandez \u201918 MA, guest speaker for Montclair\u2019s National First-Generation Celebration Days, advises first-gen students: \u201cLean into conversations you find uncomfortable because that\u2019s really where the growth happens.\u201d (Photo by Mike Peters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Montclair\u2019s National First-Gen Celebration<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On November 8, Montclair joined colleges nationwide to celebrate National First-Generation College Celebration, honoring first-gen students and staff. This event marks the anniversary of the Higher Education Act of 1965, a landmark piece of legislation aimed at increasing college access, particularly for first-gen and underrepresented students.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Trailblazer Achievement Award Honorees<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Montclair\u2019s First-Generation College Celebration hosted by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/office-of-student-belonging\/\">Office Student Belonging<\/a> honored the first recipients of the Trailblazer Achievement Award, recognizing exceptional leadership, perseverance, and impact within the first-gen community. In addition to the two student honorees, two staff members were recognized.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Awarded Staff Members:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Jerryl H. Sharif:<\/strong> 2006 Bloomfield College graduate, Assistant Director for the Center for Student Leadership and Engagement at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Julia DelBagno:<\/strong> Montclair\u2019s Assistant Dean for Student Engagement.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Guest Speaker<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Alvert Hernandez<\/strong> \u201918 MA, Assistant Dean for the Center of Inclusive Excellence at Moravian University, shared insights on supporting first-gen student retention and success.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>I\u2019m a ____, tell me more:<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Prospective Student \/ Parent:<\/strong> Learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2024\/09\/17\/what-it-means-to-be-a-hispanic-serving-university\/\">what it means to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution<\/a>, or take the next step and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/admissions\/\">apply to become a Red Hawk<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Journalist:<\/strong> Contact the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/contact-media-relations\/\">Media Relations<\/a> team for assets or to schedule an interview about this topic.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/\/ Output tags as a list for Google Analytics custom dimension\nwindow.MSU_TagList = [];\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Montclair State University students and alumni provide advice on navigating college as a first-gen student<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":434,"featured_media":225036,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[348,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-225021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hispanic-initiatives","category-university"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/434"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=225021"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":225052,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225021\/revisions\/225052"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/225036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=225021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=225021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=225021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}