When you’re the first in your family to achieve something there is an unspoken pressure and often times guilt on your journey to success. Whether it’s school, entrepreneurship or both, the burden of family expectations, financial obligations and figuring out your journey without support grows tiresome. As a first-generation American, first-generation college student I felt like I was shooting in the dark academically and professionally. There were plenty of stress-induced nights figuring out FAFSA, fully understanding the inner workings of higher education, and working smart to secure an internship and ultimately a job.
Maneuvering unchartered waters can be scary especially when you do not have someone in your immediate community to lean on as a guide. Your status should be seen as a strength, not a weakness. Education is a passport for your future, it propels you by providing options, a network, and resources that older generations in your family may not have had the option to utilize. To simply know of an opportunity can make a world of a difference. There are opportunities and scholarships geared toward helping you succeed.
Resources With First Generation Students in Mind:
- Free College Guidance and Mentoring:
- Gateway to College (no H.S. diploma required)
- Virtual Campus Tours
- Scholarships and Fellowships–many opportunities are specific to schools and/or regions but the below options is a great place to begin your search
- Coca Cola First Generation Scholarship (Native American students only)
Don’t be deterred, but utilize what’s inside of you to achieve your goals. The opportunities above, in addition to application fee waivers (stay tuned for a blog about that) will reduce the anxiety and stress of transitioning to college as a first generation college student.
Do you need help filling out your FAFSA? Click here for assistance and check out this infographic.
