Know That You Are Worthy

Adam J. Rodríguez, PsyD, is a first-generation college graduate and psychoanalytic psychologist in private practice. His pursuit of a college degree took him 15 years, spanning 4 community colleges, including Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, CA; 2 four-year universities, including San Francisco State University where he completed his bachelors at the age of 32; and four years of graduate school at The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. In his practice and scholarly work, Dr. Rodríguez is interested in the study of first-generation college students, multiracial identities, the intersection of race/ethnicity and class, and the connections between music and clinical work. He is a board member of Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN), an organization which advocates for therapies of depth, insight, and relationship. Yolanda Norman, EdD, currently serves as Associate Vice President of Student Development at Concordia University Texas and CEO of FirstGenCollege Consulting. As a low-income first-generation college student-athlete when she entered college, Dr. Norman often questioned her own journey for a college education and daily fought the negative thoughts telling her she did not belong. Today she spends her time on campus and within the community championing strategies focused on successful student development, working nationally with organizations to help students aspire to and persist towards college graduation, and engaging with first-generation college graduate professionals helping to build strong leadership. Learn more about her work at MyFirstgenCollege.com and stay engaged with her online at @FirstGenCollege. Contributors include: Sonja Ardoin, Glynis Boyd Hughes, Kallie Clark, Maria Dykema Erb, Jeremy Edwards, Mayra González Menjívar, Racquez Gutierrez Cortez, Patricia Harris, David Hernández, Karen Hill, Emilee Claire Inez, Dawna Jones, Jennifer Lieurance, Yvonne M. Luna, Adj Marshall, Ivonne Martínez, T. Mark Montoya, Ulises Morales, Mytien Nguyen, Lynn Pepin, Henry Rosas Ibarra, Kamina P. Richardson, Sean Richardson, Mike Santaniello, Stephen Santa-Ramirez, Clifton E. Shambry, Jr., Joyce Stewart, Anthony Vargas, Desireé Vega, David Winston, and Kevin L. Wright

Foreword (Yolanda Norman)

Acknowledgments

Introduction (Adam J. Rodríguez)

Section I Introduction: Stories Featuring Academic Experiences (Adam J. Rodríguez)

First Generation Students Defined

College Culture

Structure and Content of the Book

Contributors

Emergence of Themes

Sections

Critical Self-Reflection

The Strengths of First-Generation Students

Chapter 1 (Anthony Vargas, Student Affairs, Campus Living University at Buffalo)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 2: Mapping Out College to Career Goals in Real-Time (Jeremy Edwards, PhD, Lecturer for the Program in Writing and Rhetoric at Stanford University)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributions Toward College Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 3: Success is Not a Linear Path (Ivonne Martinez, Pursuing Master’s in Data Science)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 4 (Desireé Vega, PhD, Associate Professor, School Psychology)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 5 (Yvonne M. Luna, PhD, Associate Vice Provost and Professor of Sociology)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success: I Didn’t Do It Alone

Role of Mi Familia

Tips and Advice

Chapter 6 (Maria Dykema Erb, MEd, Director of the Newbury Center, Boston University)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 7 (David Winston, MD, PhD, Forensic Pathologist)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 8 (Mike Santaniello, Professor of Sociology)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 9 (Lynn Pepin, BSE, Completing PhD in Computer Science)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 10: From North Philly to Faculty: Testimonio of a First-Generation Latinx College Student Surviving and Thriving at an Historically White University (Stephen Santa-Ramirez, PhD, Assistant Professor of Higher Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, University at Buffalo)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Critical Self-Reflection 1 (Adam J. Rodríguez)

Two Primary Questions

Further Discussion Questions

Section II Introduction: Stories Featuring Social Experiences (Adam J. Rodríguez)

Chapter 11: The Little Girl from Gay, Georgia (Patricia Harris, MA, Senior Director of Education, Operations and Initiatives, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College: I Love My SSU

Contributors to My Success: Tell Them We Are Rising

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 12:In My Own Way (David Hernández, Associate Professor, Latina/o Studies, Faculty Director of Community Engagement, Mount Holyoke College)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 13 (Jenny Lieurance, First Generation Specialist)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 14 (Glynis Boyd Hughes, Grant Writer and Storyteller)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 15 (T. Mark Montoya, PhD, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 16 (Joyce Stewart, Senior Academic Lecturer, English Department)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College: The Enjoyable and Annoying

Contributors to My Success: What Worked for Me

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 17 (Kevin L. Wright, EdD, Senior Equity Facilitator/Consultant at the Center for Equity & Inclusion)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

The Classroom

Reslife

Campus Involvement

Contributions Toward College Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 18 (Sonja Ardoin, PhD, Associate Professor & Program Director, Student Affairs Administration)

Applying to and Preparing for College: LSU was my Harvard

Experiences in College: Finding My Tiger Stripes

Contributors to My Serendipitous Success

Role of Family: It’s Not My Degree, It’s Ours

Tips and Advice: “My Two Cents” Offering

Chapter 19 (Kamina P. Richardson, Assistant Program Director and Pre-Law Advisor for Legal Studies Program at Temple University’s Fox School of Business)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 20 (Emilee Claire Inez, Admissions Representative, University of Wyoming)

Applying to and Preparing for College: Before the Bachelors

Experiences in College: Growth in Undergrad

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Critical Self-Reflection 2 (Adam J. Rodríguez)

Two Primary Questions

Further Discussion Questions

Section III Introduction: Stories Featuring Psychological Experiences (Adam J. Rodríguez)

Chapter 21: To the Garden that Blossomed Seeds of Dreams (Ulises Morales, Executive Assistant)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 22 (Mayra González Menjívar, Communications Associate)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 23 (Kallie Clark, MSW, PhD, Educator and Researcher)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 24 (Dawna Jones, MEd, MSW, Director, Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture at Duke University)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 25: The Paths We Pave (Mytien Nguyen, MD-PhD Student)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 26 (Sean Richardson, Pursuing Master’s in Higher Education Administration)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 27: Navigating Uncharted Waters (Adj Marshall, Families Program & Policy Administrator, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College: Assets and Drawbacks

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 28 (Clifton E. Shambry, Jr., Assistant Director of Life Design for Diversity and Inclusion)

The Beginning: Why College

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of the Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 29 (Raquel Gutierrez Cortez, MSCP, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, Associate Professional Clinical Counselor)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 30 (Karen Hill, BA, Completing Master of Science in Counseling)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Chapter 31 (Henry Rosas Ibarra, Political Consultant)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to My Success

Role of Family

Tips and Advice

Critical Self-Reflection 3 (Adam J. Rodríguez)

Two Primary Questions

Further Discussion Questions

Chapter 32: Discussion and Analysis (Adam J. Rodríguez)

Applying to and Preparing for College

Experiences in College

Contributors to Success

Role of Family

The Costs of Upward Mobility

Conclusion

Chapter 33: Tips and Advice for First-Generation College Students and Their Families (Adam J. Rodríguez)

Advice for Parents

Conclusion

Chapter 34: Creating Equity and Justice: Recommendations for Colleges, Faculty, and Staff (Adam J. Rodríguez)

Laying the Groundwork

Institutional Changes

Early Intervention

Admissions Process

Financial Aid Assistance

Tutoring Services

Residence Halls

Academic Advising

Mentorship Programs

Counseling/Mental Health Services

Increased Representation

Classroom Level

Normalizing Adjustment Difficulties

Conclusion

Glossary of Select College Terms

Appendix A: Resources

References

Index

About the Contributors