First-gen student, administrator share how college changed their lives

December 6, 2019 | UHCL Staff

The face of today’s college student continues to change, PBS NewsHour reported in a special series that focused on college student populations. The phrase “first generation college student” was unheard of just a decade ago, but now, “first-gen” students are increasing in numbers across college campuses in America, including at University of Houston-Clear Lake, where about 35% of the student body identified themselves as first generation college students on their applications.

Sophomore pre-engineering student Jacob Howard, whose family is Hispanic, said he came from hardworking people who did not go to college. “My grandparents’ mentality was that if you work hard, you can move up,” he said. “That’s not entirely true anymore. I think it’s much harder to move up in your career without a college degree.”

He said that ever since his parents married, they knew that the next generation would have to go to college somehow. “They started setting aside money for our education,” he said, referring to his older brother, who graduated from another university. “During the middle school years, I found there was a stark difference between myself and my classmates. They didn’t seem to be getting pressure to do well in school, but my mom was definitely pushing me,” he said.

Aaron Hart, UHCL’s vice president for Division of Student Affairs, said that his parents had also raised him to understand that the way to a better life was through education. “I’m a first-generation college student and my parents’ life experience gave them the wherewithal to appreciate and value education,” he said. “I grew up on the south side of Chicago and as a kid, there were times when I wanted certain things. And my mom would tell me to go and get a good education, and then I could get anything I wanted.”

At UHCL, Howard said, he felt supported and welcomed as a first-gen college student. “I’ve found a lot of places that will help me when I need guidance, like the math and writing centers, and I have gone to my adviser for help on planning for semester courses. They’re really helpful and I always feel better after I visit them,” he said.

Hart said that UHCL has a great deal to offer this growing segment of the student population. “The most important thing we have here is the acknowledgement the first-generation students exist. Some colleges have no programs for first-gen students, but here, we feel they’re an important and valued population,” he said. “And here at UHCL, we have departments, academic units and student services collaborating to support these students. We aren’t just one unit, we are multiple units working together on behalf of first-gen students, and that is unique to our campus.”

Aja Rodriguez, coordinator of Diversity Programs in the Office of Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, also coordinates UHCL’s Gen One program, an outreach to assist first-gen students on campus. “The Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office previously served only those enrolled in the Gen One experience. Now, I am working to create more programming to support the entire first-generation population here at UHCL,” she said. “The programming will serve more than 3,000 students who are first-gen currently on campus.”

She said that students frequently described a sense of aloneness stemming from the fact that they do not normally discuss their status as first-gen students with others in the community. “This helped to influence the decision to create First Gen Week, held during the first week in November, which coincided with the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators’ National First Generation Students Celebration,” she said. “We held several events, in addition to two support meetings advertised across campus to help with visibility and representation.”

Rodriguez said that the Gen One program offers assistance to this growing student population in several different ways. “We will help students get connected to campus resources and help them develop a sense of community and belonging,” she said. “The more the students choose to participate, the more they will get out of the program. And for those without the time to commit, we have programming and resources in our office as well.”

She added that support meetings for all first-generation students are on the first consecutive Thursday and Friday of each month at 2 p.m. in the SDEI office.

Hart said his advice to any student considering college as a first-gen student was simple. “I would say, please don’t let a lack of understanding of higher education prevent you from making the best decision of your life,” he said. “Attending college, whether it’s a community college or a four-year college, will change your life and have a positive impact for your family and those around you. You might be successful without a college degree, but if you have access to quality education, there are no barriers. Nothing, including financial problems, should prevent anyone’s access to some form of higher education.”

Howard said he felt that UHCL was a great place for first-gen college students. “The faculty and services offered here have been an enormous help in my adventure of being a student and have been a great advantage to my experience as a whole,” he said.

For more information about UHCL’s resources and support for first generation students including Gen One, please contact the Office of Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.