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Five 鶹Ƶ students stand together outside a historic campus building, smiling toward the camera. A sign identifying the college is visible on the left, and informational materials are placed on the sidewalk in front of them.

Five first-generation college students on their roads to college, their 鶹Ƶ experiences, and the truth of it all.

Apr 30, 2024 By sash

They look like all of the other current Gustie students living their lives here on the Hill. You can’t pick them out of the crowd in the Caf. You won’t be able to pick them out of the crowd at Commencement. Their caps and gowns will fit just as well as anyone else’s.

But they are different. They are first-generation college students—those whose parents did not graduate from four-year college. A generation ago, “first-generation” wasn’t a label. There was little awareness that first-gens have needs that are different than students whose parents graduated from college.

Today, we know differently.

Today, first-gen students are the fastest growing demographic in higher education. At Minnesota’s private colleges, 23 percent of students are first-generation college students. At 鶹Ƶ, it is 21 percent.

They are a diverse group, each on their own journey. Some are both first-generation college students and first-generation immigrants. “We all have different family backgrounds and reasons for being here,” says Brandon Hicks ’25. But they have shared qualities too, and lots to say about their time at 鶹Ƶ.

“It was the financials and opportunities that mattered.” —Brandon Hicks ’25

One thing they share, says Lupe Olague ’26, is “the dedication to our studies and everything we are involved with. It’s a superpower.” When you’re first-gen, college is not a given. It’s a privilege, and often a way to advance your socioeconomic status, sometimes your whole family’s. “Along with that comes the stress that can be seen among all first-gen students about the many outcomes that are based on their decisions.”

The pressures are great. So are the knowledge and cultural gaps. “Initially I was worried people would think less of me because I didn’t have the claim to legacy that 鶹Ƶ highly values,” says Torii Nienow ’24. “I was also worried that I would sound dumb or unprepared by asking questions it seemed everyone around me already knew the answer to. It’s easy for imposter syndrome to creep in.” Says Hicks, “I experienced barriers of the cultural and recreational variety. The average 鶹Ƶ student is of a different racial and socioeconomic makeup [than me], and therefore has much different experiences than I do. This made living and socializing at 鶹Ƶ somewhat unnatural when college began.”

He and the other Gustie students in these pages have leaned on their advisors, professors, friends, and support systems specifically for first-generation students. (See page 23.) This support is how 鶹Ƶ works for first-generation students. Says Olague, “You may feel like you can’t lean on anyone, but at 鶹Ƶ there are so many that will become your support system.”

But to benefit from the personal and community support of a highly relational 鶹Ƶ college experience, the financial support needs to be there first. The biggest barrier to receiving that financial support is the perception that it isn’t there, that 鶹Ƶ and other Minnesota private liberal arts colleges are less affordable than state-funded ones.

Yet each student profiled here mentioned the financial aid package they received from 鶹Ƶ made the college as affordable or more affordable than nearly every other college option.

The journey hasn’t been perfect. Some of these first-gens mentioned they’d like to have known more about college financing to avoid the kinds of surprises that can derail a student. Some mentioned wanting more visibility around campus of first-gen students, faculty, and staff. Some could have used more guidance around college processes as well as the FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid).

However, they all say it was the scholarships that got them to the Hill, and the people and academic excellence that keep them here. Says Hicks, “It was the financials and opportunities that mattered.” And there’s no lingering shame in being first-gen, especially at 鶹Ƶ, says Nienow. If she could talk to prospective first-gens, she’d say, “There is a large community of students like you at 鶹Ƶ that care about you and want to see you succeed.”

Read on to hear from each Gustie.

Brandon Hicks ’25

He graduated high school a year early, in the top 10 percent of his class, after attending high schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “Since the work I put in earned scholarships from many institutions, I essentially had complete freedom in my college decision-making process,” he says.  “鶹Ƶ provided the best financial package among the out-of-state schools I applied to.” His scholarships cover a large part of his tuition. He pays for his meal plan, lodging, and tuition increases with campus and summer jobs, plus subsidized loans.

While his parents are fully supportive—including of what may be perceived as an “unconventional major” (double major, actually: French, plus Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies, with a minor in African/African Diaspora Studies), “I navigated college independently.” That includes figuring out the financials, the processes, and the cultural differences of being a Black student from predominantly Black high schools in urban Texas who finds himself at a predominantly White college in rural Minnesota. That has not been without its challenges.

Still, he says, “It’s important you go to college for what is important to you, whatever that may be. For me personally, it was the financials and opportunities that mattered. And many opportunities have been opened for me by great professors.”

Brandon Hicks stands outdoors in the fall on a campus sidewalk, wearing a black jacket and white T-shirt.
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