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first generation college students

Working Class Studies Association – Poverty Class Panel & Caucus

November 20, 2018 by Adj Marshall Leave a Comment

As a first-generation, low-income college student, I knew that the feelings of inadequacy I was having were my own version of imposter syndrome. I had never been to an academic conference, and here I was standing outside the Centre des Congrès de Quebec, about to present at one of the most prestigious conferences in the […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism Tagged With: first generation college students, poverty

#FirstGenThrowback

September 26, 2018 by Lana W. Jackman Leave a Comment

Reflecting on my own experience as a first-generation college student, I rarely used the educational resources of the academic library. Being a first-gen, library usage was just not ingrained in my family culture. As a result, I had no idea of the variety or richness of the resources available that could have helped me learn […]

Filed Under: Classism in Higher Education, First Generation College Students Tagged With: academia, class cultures, education, first generation college students, privilege, working class

Why Do You Want to Be Poor?

July 5, 2018 by Alejandro Villa Vasquez Leave a Comment

Growing up poor on Long Island builds character. While trying to balance personal responsibilities with maintaining a GPA high enough to make myself a competitive candidate for scholarships and college admissions, I found that I could make several distinct dinner recipes from just adobo seasoning, week-old produce and recooked meat products. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was necessary. It […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Class in Higher Education, Class prejudice, Cultural capital, Dealing with privilege, First Generation College Students, Poverty Tagged With: academia, class cluelessness, class cultures, classism, first generation college students, poverty, privilege, Rationalizing privilege, working class

A Total Commitment to First Gen Students

April 19, 2018 by Class Action Leave a Comment

Instead of a program located in one department, Mount Holyoke provides a dynamic, collaborative initiative focused on ensuring that the august institution is meeting the particular needs of first gen students. According to Latrina Denson, associate dean of students for community and inclusion at the college, the collaborative, the First Gen Network, is comprised of administrators, […]

Filed Under: Class in Higher Education, Dealing with privilege, First Generation College Students, Poverty Tagged With: academia, education, first generation college students, poverty, working class

B1GS: First Gen College Students

April 19, 2018 by Johnasia McCrea Leave a Comment

I am a sophomore at Rutgers University-Camden, studying psychology with a minor in childhood studies and social work. I am also – with great pride – a first generation college student. I aspire to become a child psychologist. During the spring semester of my freshman year, I had the opportunity to attend the Class Action […]

Filed Under: Building Economic Alternatives, First Generation College Students, Internalized classism Tagged With: academia, education, first generation college students, poverty, working class

Feel the FLoW

April 19, 2018 by Jocelyn Salcedo 1 Comment

Throughout my first years of college, I couldn’t help but notice I was different than my peers. I couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but it was a constant feeling of separation. As I tried to explain this sensation to my friends, it became obvious that nobody else could feel this difference but me. It […]

Filed Under: Class in Higher Education, First Generation College Students, Poverty Tagged With: academia, class cultures, first generation college students, working class

What Happens When Degrees Aren’t Enough?

July 25, 2017 by Taylor Chapman 3 Comments

  Being a first generation college student often feels like being perpetually caught between two or more worlds. Many of us learn that we must weave ourselves seamlessly through poverty, familial commitments, academic demands and more in order to be successful. But what happens when code-switching and your degree don’t seem to be enough? A […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Building Economic Alternatives, Class in Higher Education, Classism in the Economy, First Generation College Students, Poverty Tagged With: academia, education, first generation college students, low-wage jobs, poverty, privilege, working class

Vulnerability Is Courage: A First Gen Student Journey

July 25, 2017 by Beth Miller 1 Comment

Feeling Vulnerable as a First Gen As a first generation student, I felt vulnerable, and I didn’t want anyone to know it. So I didn’t ask for help, and I failed out of Syracuse University after a year and a half. My next attempt was at Central Connecticut State University, where I was a walk […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Class in Higher Education, First Generation College Students, Internalized classism Tagged With: academia, education, first generation college students, speaking up

Assimilation and the First Generation College Student

May 4, 2017 by Bobby Zaman 1 Comment

Going to college as a first generation student of color is more than just getting the money and applying for the right scholarships. It’s also about fitting in, trying to relate to your peers and constantly assimilating to a new culture. Money is only the first hill we must climb before hurtling over various mountains […]

Filed Under: Class cultures, Class in Higher Education, Class prejudice, Classism, First Generation College Students, Internalized classism Tagged With: academia, classism, education, first generation college students, snobs, stereotypes, working class

Politics of Work, Socioeconomics, and Classism in Classrooms:

December 8, 2016 by Doreen Mohammed Leave a Comment

Education to Work to Live or Live to Work? I am a first-generation American whose parents immigrated from Dhaka, Bangladesh, so I could make it big – so I would never have worry for my survival as they had and still have to, and to be able to take my life for granted as most to none of […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Class in Higher Education Tagged With: academia, blaming the victim, classism, education, first generation college students, immigrants, low-income, poverty, privilege, race and class, racism

Systematic Failure: A Recipe for Self-Doubt

September 15, 2016 by Alyshia Macaysa 3 Comments

What does it mean when our education system, “The Great Equalizer,” turns low-income dreamers into third-generation self-doubters? When a high-quality education system is built only to serve and advance the dreams of highly resourced, high-wealth individuals? Prior to my time at UC Berkeley, the formula to a successful college career seemed pretty simple. All you […]

Filed Under: Class cultures, Class in Higher Education, Classism, Dismantlng Classism, First Generation College Students, Institutional racism, Internalized classism Tagged With: academia, classism, community organizing, education, first generation college students, poverty, privilege, race and class, racism

Graduate School and Kind Strangers

September 15, 2016 by Frelimo Amili Leave a Comment

By the time August rolls around it seems like summer is pretty much over. School started on September first this year, that’s the earliest I can remember. If it weren’t for good people and programs that help, there is no way my family would ever have been prepared. I am a graduate student at the […]

Filed Under: Class cultures, Money Tagged With: academia, first generation college students, money

The Sound of Class

September 15, 2016 by Chris Haigh Leave a Comment

The final days of summer always remind me of the time I left home for college. In an instant I can recall what I felt 25 years ago sitting in the back seat of my parent’s car, my belongings stuffed in the trunk, as we drove silently away from my home and toward my future. Home […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Class cultures, Class in Higher Education, Class prejudice, Classism among Kids Tagged With: academia, class cultures, classism, education, first generation college students, snobs, stereotypes, working class

Choosing Not to Go Into Debt for College

June 8, 2016 by Nicole Renee Brown 3 Comments

Nicole Brown wrote the following after reading, and being so affected by, last month’s (May 2016) Classism Exposed blog post on the possibility that students are deciding not to attend college due to the fear of loan debt. After reading that low-income and working-class students may be choosing not to go to college for fear of taking on debt, […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Class in Higher Education, Classism in the Economy, First Generation College Students, Money, Poverty Tagged With: academia, debt, education, first generation college students, poverty, working class

First in the Family: Social Mobility as a
First Generation College Student

May 1, 2016 by Vivianna Lee Alvarez 2 Comments

As the first in my family to pursue a college degree, I have found challenges in navigating the privileges and isolation encompassed in the system of higher education. Both of my parents moved to the United States in the late 1980s – my mother from Hong Kong, China and my father from Monterrey, Mexico. Neither […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Class in Higher Education Tagged With: academia, education, first generation college students, middle class, poverty, working class

Finding My Place in Academia as a First-Gen

May 1, 2016 by Kenneth Lambert Jr Leave a Comment

As the first in my family to attend college and to go on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees, I have definitely struggled to find my place in the world of academia, the class system of higher education, and to understand the worth of my experience. As a child of mixed Caucasian and Native American […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Class in Higher Education, First Generation College Students, Internalized classism Tagged With: academia, classism, education, first generation college students, poverty

To Advisors of First Gen Students: Tell the Truth

September 14, 2015 by Sheltreese McCoy Leave a Comment

I can still vividly remember my first days on campus as a first generation, first gen, college student. How lush and expansive if felt in comparison to the slums of Cleveland. This was a whole new world literally, and I was new in it. I had made it from poverty to the rolling lawns and […]

Filed Under: Class cultures, Class in Higher Education, First Generation College Students, LGBT & Class, Poverty Tagged With: academia, classism, education, first generation college students

3 Things to Keep In Mind as a Non-First Gen or Low-Income Student Leader

September 14, 2015 by Isabel Staccuneddu Leave a Comment

I dedicated the last two weeks this past summer to being a student leader for the incoming class of 2019. I’m an academic peer tutor, meaning that I serve as a residence-hall-based resource who fosters academic and personal well-being in the hall. As a low-income, first gen college student, I noticed that the standard summer […]

Filed Under: Class in Higher Education, Classism, Classism in Everyday Life, First Generation College Students Tagged With: academia, classism, education, first generation college students, privilege

On Being an Other

April 2, 2015 by Melissa Martinez Leave a Comment

“I don’t want to sound stupid or anything,” said my aunt as she made a remark about the weather being cold, but not as cold as in Massachusetts. I noticed how she quickly grazed her eyes in my direction before letting them drop when our eyes met. Lately, I felt as though many of my […]

Filed Under: First Generation College Students Tagged With: academia, class cultures, education, family, first generation college students, race

Don’t Leave us in the Shadows

April 2, 2015 by Felix Contreras-Castro Leave a Comment

I learned from the Summit that first-generation students come from many different backgrounds and carry many types of experiences — but we all share one thing in common, and that’s obtaining a four-year degree. However, I believe one key element that is often overlooked is students who started at community colleges. Most community college students […]

Filed Under: First Generation College Students Tagged With: academia, community colleges, first generation college students

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