THE ADVICE I WOULD GIVE TO A FIRST GENERATION
COLLEGE STUDENT IS JUST TO LOOK AROUND.
EVEN IF YOU TRY COLLEGE AND YOU DON'T LIKE
IT, JUST TRY IT.
>> DON'T BE AFRAID TO GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT
BUBBLE.
THAT'S WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN.
>> IT'S NOT ALWAYS COMFORTABLE, IT'S NOT ALWAYS
EASY, I MEAN, JUST GOING TO COLLEGE IS BREAKING
OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE BUT YOU CAN'T JUST
DO IT ON YOUR OWN.
>> DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR ANY KIND OF
HELP IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING IN LIFE FINANCIALLY
YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH GRADES THERE'S TON
OF OF RESOURCES, USE THEM, YOU KNOW.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO GET THE HELP THAT YOU NEED.
>> THEY HAVE TO DO MORE THAN WHAT'S EXPECTED.
THEY HAVE TO DO MORE THAN MORE HOMEWORK AND
MORE READING THAN THE TEACHERS CURRENTLY GIVE
THEM.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE TO BE PREPARED AND TO DO
THAT, YOU HAVE TO PUT IT ON YOURSELF.
THEY NEED TO HAVE A VISION OF WHERE THEY WANT
TO BE.
>> YOU'RE GONNA QUESTION YOURSELF, AM I GOOD
AT THIS?
BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE SO MANY MORE DAYS
WHEN YOU SAY YEAH, IT WAS WORTH IT.
AND THOSE DAYS SURPASS THE BAD DAYS.
>> IT'S NOT AS TOUGH AS YOU THINK IT IS.
IT REALLY ISN'T.
IT'S DEFINITELY POSSIBLE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN LEAVE HOME.
LEAVING IS A BIG JUMP, BUT IF YOU FOCUS ON
IT, IT'S DEFINITELY POSSIBLE.
>> I WOULD SAY TO THE PROFESSORS WHO KNOW
THEY HAVE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS TO INTENTIONALLY
REACH OUT TO THEM, BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY INTIMIDATING
FOR A STUDENT TO BE ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS WITH
A PROFESSOR WHO HAS YEAR OF EXPERIENCE IN
FRONT OF THEM.
AND EVEN WHEN THEY NEED HELP, SOMETIMES WE
DON'T FEEL LIKE WE CAN APPROACH THEM.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO KNOW WHO
THOSE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS ARE AND TO
INTENTIONALLY GO TO THEM AND SAY IF YOU NEED
HELP, COME TO ME.
>> MY ADVICE TO OTHER TEACHERS OR PROFESSORS
THAT HAVE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS IS THAT
THEY NEED TO SEE EACH STUDENT AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
EACH STUDENT IS THERE AND EACH STUDENT IS
DIFFERENT.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT NEED.
SO I ALWAYS TRY TO THINK OF MY SON WHEN I
HAVE A STUDENT IN FRONT OF ME.
IF WE INDIVIDUALIZE THEM AND SAY THIS IS MY
SON, HOW WOULD I WANT SOMEBODY TO TREAT MY
SON.
>> BEFRIEND THEM IN A SENSE, BUT YOU FIND
OUT WHAT MAKES THEM TICK.
CROW QUOA, WHERE ARE YOU COMING FROM, FIND
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEIR BACKGROUND, THEIR
CULTURE, AND MAYBE TRY TO HELP THEM ASSIMILATE
A LITTLE MORE.
>> I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT FIRST
GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS COME TO THE UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS AND GET CONNECTED THROUGH MENTORS,
WHETHER IT BE A PEER MENTOR OR FACULTY MENTOR.
THEY CAN HELP THE STUDENT TO BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE
WITH NAVIGATING THEIR SURROUNDINGS AND THEY'RE
JUST A SOCIAL SUPPORT.
>> THEY'VE GOT TO REACH OUT AND FIND SOME
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE,
BECAUSE THAT KIND OF FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE
IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ACQUIRE IN ANY OTHER
WAY.
>> BEING AS IMMERSED AND CONNECTED ON CAMPUS
AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN INCREASE YOUR OPPORTUNITY
FOR SUCCESS, EXPONENTIALLY.
THE RESEARCH SAYS THAT IF YOU ARE PLUGGED
IN AND WELL CONNECTED ON CAMPUS THROUGH MENTORSHIP
PROGRAMS OR CAMPUS JOBS THAT YOUR ODDS OF
SUCCESS INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY.
BECAUSE YOU'RE IMMERSED IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
>> IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GIVE
STUDENTS PERMISSION TO ASK FOR HELP.
>> WE'RE DEALING WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS
THAT ARE IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE SO THERE'S
NO QUESTION THAT'S SILLY.
THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT IS NOT RELEVANT.
AND THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT DOESN'T HAVE
A LEGITIMATE ANSWER THAT CAN BE FOUND.
>> I THINK WE HAVE TO BE THERE IN AN ACCESSIBLE,
RESPONSIVE WAY.
COULD BE THAT FACULTY ADVISER, IT COULD BE
THAT FACULTY MEMBER, IT COULD BE A RELIGIOUS
MINISTER OR RABBI OR PRIEST IN OUR COMMUNITY,
IT COULD BE AN EMPLOYER.
>> AUTHENTIC VOICE IS ONE OF MOST POWERFUL
TEACHING TOOL THAT WE HAVE AND BEING ABLE
TO SUPPORT AND NURTURE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS
THAT WILL GO OUT AND THEN SUPPORT AND NURTURE
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS,
EVEN ELEMENTARY STUDENTS AND PLANT THAT SEED,
C KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS AND I DID AND LET ME
TELL YOU ABOUT MY WALK.
THAT MAKES THAT IMPACT SO POWERFUL.
>> THE NATION AND THE WORLD NEED THESE FOLKS
TO BE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THEY HAVE PERSPECTIVE,
AND STRENGTH THAT THEY BRING TO THE UNIVERSE
EXPERIENCE AND THAT THEY WILL BRING TO PROFESSIONS
AND TO THEIR CAREER AND LIVES WHICH ARE REALLY
IN DEMAND THESE DAY.
WE NEED THEM TO BRING THEIR CRITICAL THINKING
TO THE GREAT PROBLEMS WE FACE.
WE NEED THEM TO PERSEVERE SO THEY CAN ACQUIRE
ENOUGH POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR SOCIETY
WHERE IT'S NEEDED.
>> EVEN THOUGH IT'S BIG AND IT MAY SEEM BIG,
THERE'S A PLACE FOR THEM HERE.
EVERY ONE CAN FIND THEIR PLACE HERE.
AND IF I CAN DO IT, UM, ANYBODY CAN DO IT.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT.
>> MY NAME IS HELENE.
>> LISA.
>> CHRIS.
>> JESSICA.
>> SIERRA.
>> MARTIN.
>> CHUCK.
>> ANGELICA.
>> AMANDA.
>> DEANA.
.
>> STEVEN.
>> PAT SLUN DEBBIE MERCER.
>> ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
AT GARDEN CITY HIGH SCHOOL.
>> FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR
>> PHYSICAL SCIENCE TEACHER.
>> ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND DIVERSITY COORDINATOR
FOR THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION.
>> THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE MC NEARS
SCHOLARS PROGRAM.
>> VICE PROVOST FOR UNDER GRADUATE STUDIES.
>> VICE PRESIDENT.
>> DEAN AS THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION.
>> A FIRST GENERATION.
>> FIRST GENERATION.
>> FIRST GENERATION STUDENT.
