Category: Faces of First Gen

Being first-generation taught me that learning is a lifelong process, which is something that doesn’t stop when formal education begins or ends. Being a first-generation student means learning alongside my family, and learning more about what we can do, rather than what we can’t do.

I take immense pride in being the first in my family to attend college. My parents made incredible sacrifices, leaving behind the home they loved and everything familiar to start over in a country full of uncertainty. They stepped into the unknown so that I could have the opportunities they dreamed of but never had.

Being the first in my family to have the opportunity to go to college and get an education is such a privilege, and I am so grateful to my family for giving me this chance. For myself, it demonstrates the resilience and diligence I have learned from everyone around me. I couldn’t have done this by myself, and finishing my degree will be a reflection of the collective effort it took to get me to that point.

I would say being First-Gen at Carleton means that there is a community here that you can connect with and will help you in learning a lot about yourself. Carleton is a great place to learn what that means. Being First-Gen at Carleton means figuring out all of your strengths and figuring out how they work together. And you find your community and you all grow together.

While self-doubt accompanied my first year at Carleton, my pride and confidence have become more pronounced with each obstacle that I’ve overcome. I have realized that being a first-generation student has equipped me with the skillset (i.e., time management skills, flexibility, reaching out for help) to persevere, because I have always had to overcome additional challenges to get ahead.

Being the first in my family to attend college, I am motivated by internal pressures to pave the way for my siblings. At times, the weight of that pressure feels like I cannot afford to slip up because I worry that my siblings would follow in my footsteps. More often than not, however, being the first one in my family to attend college has been personally empowering, because it has revealed that I can achieve the goals that I set out for myself.