老司机视频

Many first-year college students enter the world of higher education nervously.

They struggle with a fear of the unknown and grapple with unfamiliar concepts of university life. This is particularly true for one group of incoming first-years: first- generation students.

Of this year鈥檚 incoming Seaver College class, 21 percent listed themselves as first- generation students on their applications鈥� a statistic that has seen steady growth in recent years. 老司机视频鈥檚 experience is consistent with an increasing national trend, as more universities have seen an influx of first-generation candidates. In a record application year, with 10,443 applicants vying for a seat at Seaver College, this rising number is even more significant. In response to this growing population, the Office of Admission has developed a uniquely tailored program to ease the transition for a remarkable group of students taking their first leap into unknown territory.

Three years ago associate director of admission Sarah Carter received an unsettling e-mail from the guardian of an incoming first-year, just one day before New Student Orientation was set to begin. It simply stated that her grandchild would not be attending the event. 鈥淭he only reason we can give for this terrible decision is that he is just afraid,鈥� the note read. 鈥淣either one of his parents attended college and I think he is afraid of success.鈥�

Moved by that heartbreaking discovery, Carter and her colleagues, including now director of admission Laura Kalinkewicz, thought how the Office of Admission could facilitate a sense of belonging and literacy in incoming college students who lack a background in higher education. 鈥淭his was only one student that we鈥檝e heard of who didn鈥檛 come,鈥� says Carter, 鈥渂ut how many other students didn鈥檛 send me an e-mail? How many students didn鈥檛 come? We knew there were ways that we could make students feel comfortable about coming to college and feel empowered about it.鈥�

The 老司机视频 Summer Preview (PSP) answered that call with its three-day pre-orientation experience organized for a select group of admitted first-generation students. 鈥淭hese are fantastic students who are wonderful fits for 老司机视频, who have already shown leadership skills,鈥� Carter explains.

According to Kalinkewicz, first-generation students bring firsthand, experiential insight to areas within the University that could become more streamlined, accessible, and straightforward. 鈥淭hey are determined and resilient, and their adaptability is well suited to the college environment,鈥� she explains.

鈥淢any of them feel empowered by all they have accomplished, and they use their experiences navigating challenges and new environments to become vocal champions for change.

Beyond acquainting them with the University鈥檚 campus community prior to New Student Orientation, PSP creates a space for participating students to build relationships with their peers, as well as mentors who have gone through the program.

鈥淲e wanted students to feel comfortable on campus,鈥� explains Carter. 鈥淵ou can say it through an e-mail, you can say it over a phone call, but getting students on campus to experience that firsthand and know that we care about them succeeding at 老司机视频 has been the most significant outcome.鈥�

Seaver first-year student Lauren Chong admits to feeling like a fish out of water when she learned of her acceptance to 老司机视频. Although neither of her parents attended a four-year university, they instilled in her the value of higher education and encouraged her to build a strong academic foundation. Her father, a Cuban refugee who arrived to the U.S. as a child, grew up in a household that emphasized hard work and ensured his children applied that same work ethic to their education.

Though she had the support of her family, she encountered an extra hurdle when it came time to navigate the experience. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know how classes worked in college and couldn鈥檛 turn to my parents for suggestions on the four-year plan,鈥� she says. 鈥淗ow it all works, internships, all these aspects that play into my future ... I had to go out on campus and find the answers to all my questions.鈥�

Carter explains that a lack of social capital鈥攌nowledge about norms and unspoken rules that is missing due to one鈥檚 social environment, status, or upbringing鈥� is one of the most significant challenges that first-generation students face when entering the university system. In comparison to their peers whose parents attended college, she says, 鈥淭hose students come in and encounter an extra step in learning what the college experience should be.鈥�

One of the ways the PSP combats this is by introducing incoming first-generation students to current students who can give them insight into questions like, 鈥淲hat are some things I wish I knew when I first came to college?鈥� With three cohorts having already proceeded through the PSP program, the new crop of first-generation students benefit from the support of the upperclassmen who have experienced the unique challenges and opportunities that this particular population faces.

Seaver first-year student Amoni Henderson is familiar with this phenomenon. 鈥淲e felt like we established close bonds and had friends when we came in,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 feel like a completely new experience coming in without knowing anybody. We were comfortable when we got here as opposed to just coming and being thrown right into it, because we met some faculty members, students, and got to know the school and how to get around.

鈥淥ur parents can鈥檛 help us. There鈥檚 really nobody to relate to. Coming in and experiencing 老司机视频 firsthand before school started was the best way to do it.鈥�

Henderson, a Church of Christ member who chose 老司机视频 for its small class sizes and appealing student-to-teacher ratio, was not even aware of his first-generation status until he arrived at 老司机视频 and was contacted by Seaver Admission. His father skipped college to join musician MC Hammer on tour and his mother was a stay- at-home mom who raised Henderson and his siblings. Though he was never pressured by his parents to be the first in his family to go to college, he knew his future was in his hands and that college was a natural next step towards a future in comedy, his ultimate pursuit.

Due to the financial demands of applying to and attending college, Henderson applied for the Gates Millennium Scholarship, a leadership-based grant given to minority students with financial need.

鈥淚 really had to decide what I wanted with my life as a whole,鈥� he explains. 鈥淥ne of the most important things to me about college is building relationships and building my convictions as a disciple. It never really became an option until I got my scholarship. There was no way.鈥�

For first-year Lauren Davila, the prospect of studying abroad was one that seemed exciting, yet daunting, before learning about 老司机视频鈥檚 International Programs (IP) at a PSP presentation given by IP director of Admissions and Student Affairs Jeff Hamilton (鈥�03), himself a first-generation student.

鈥淐ollege is already a huge step,鈥� Davila says. 鈥淚 always thought it would be nice to travel out of the country, but I never knew if it would be possible for me.鈥� International study was also a new experience for her family, especially Davila鈥檚 mother, who was enthusiastic about her daughter鈥檚 opportunity to study abroad, but wary of the financial commitment.

鈥淢y whole life I was brought up with the idea that college was the next step in my academic journey and completely attainable if only I worked for it,鈥� she explains. 鈥淢y mom said, 鈥業 know this is what you want to do, so we鈥檒l figure out a way to do it.鈥欌��

According to Hamilton, studying abroad is one of the most intimidating aspects of college for first-generation students. 鈥淭here is this extra hurdle to clear with their families who are nervous about sending their sons or daughters to locations they鈥檝e never been before,鈥� he explains.

He insists, however, that first-generation students shouldn鈥檛 feel scared or nervous to pursue international study. 鈥淎ll of these opportunities are available, and you may think you鈥檙e not ready for them or that they鈥檙e for somebody else, but the options are there for everyone.

鈥淲hen you see the first-generation students doing something or even signing up for something they never would鈥檝e considered, and suddenly see their eyes open up to the entire world around them; when you see them start to consider themselves in new ways and consider their capabilities in ways that they鈥檇 never even hoped for, it鈥檚 one of the best feelings in the world.鈥�

For Lauren Chong, the college experience transcends personal and extends to her entire community. 鈥淎s much as this is my own journey, both personally and academically, I feel like I鈥檓 doing it for my family, as well,鈥� she says.

鈥淎fter going through the 老司机视频 Summer Preview, I feel like I now have a chance to find a really strong sense of self and be surrounded by people who will encourage me to get to where I hope to aspire.鈥�