Advice for first-generation Colorado college students

As the first person in her family to attend college, 18-year-old Sharai Conde had to work that much harder to figure out how to get a secondary degree.

Without having help or advice from home when it came to filling out financial aid forms, scholarship applications and registering for classes, Conde relied on her own determination, the kindness of others and resources available for students like her as she embarked on her freshman year at Metropolitan State University of Denver this week.

“I feel like a scared Chihuahua,” Conde said Monday at the downtown Auraria campus, which Metro State shares with two other schools.

“But I also feel really good,” she added. “When I was getting ready for my first college class, my mom had tears in her eyes. I don’t think she ever thought I’d get this far.”

Research tracking a cohort of high school sophomores from 2002 found that 46% of students who had a parent with a bachelor’s degree and 59% with a parent who earned a master’s degree or higher went on to get a bachelor’s degree of their own by 2012.

For those who had parents with no postsecondary education, only 17% of students in the cohort went on to earn a bachelor’s degree, according to a 2017 report from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Fifty-four percent of first-generation college students without postsecondary degrees said they hadn’t obtained them because they couldn’t afford schooling, the report said.

For Conde and other first-generation college students in Colorado, worries of heading off to a university can transcend the usual jitters about leaving home or getting along with a roommate.

College can seem like a foreign concept whose basic elements — applying, financing, knowing which classes to take when — can come off like another language, said Brandi Scott, MSU Denver’s associate dean of equity and student achievement. High schools and colleges across the country are trying to better serve this student population that often doesn’t even know what “first-generation college student” means.

The Colorado Department of Higher Education does not collect the number of first-generation college students in the state, but the National Center for Education Statistics found that during the 2011-12 academic year, about 33% of first-time students across the country identified as first-generation college students.

Officials at Metro State and the University of Colorado Denver each said about half their 2018 freshman class was made up of students who were the first in their family to attend college.

“If you’ve had a family member who’s talked about their college experience and what it’s like, it demystifies what it is,” Scott said. “If you don’t have that as part of your story or family’s story, it’s hard to see yourself accessing college and being successful there. I want to change this from a deficit mindset to prioritizing the strengths of being a first-generation student.”

Jordan Bills, a college and career center coordinator at Aurora Public Schools, tries to identify first-generation students while they’re in high school to give them the support they will need for postgraduation pursuits such as college, entering the workforce or joining the military.

First-generation students are often terrified about the financial aspect of college, Bills said, and need guidance learning about financial aid options, scholarship opportunities and how student loans work.

“I know for many, the idea of potentially having to take out a loan has a knee-jerk, scared reaction for these students whose parents sometimes have debt and have heard horror stories about what debt can do,” Bills said. “We hold FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) nights and financial aid explanations for students and parents so everyone can understand and we can destigmatize some of these things.”

With parents who have worked multiple, labor-intensive jobs to make ends meet, Conde said her education has often been left in her hands. The constant need for self-discipline has been tough, Conde said, but also helped her develop resilience and a deeper investment into her schooling.

“I couldn’t just go ask my mom when I had a question on homework or applying to college, not because she didn’t want to help, but because she’d be like, ‘I don’t know, mija,’ ” Conde said. “I saw my parents breaking their backs, cleaning houses, working at restaurants, and I don’t want my parents to work this hard for the rest of their lives. They never give up, and neither will I. I didn’t know what I wanted to study or how to get scholarships, but I just knew that I had to go to college to succeed and be somebody.”

As colleges and universities in Colorado open their fall semesters, Conde, other first-generation college students and academic experts shared their advice for incoming students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education.

Be proactive by asking questions

This summer, Conde, a Colorado native, reached out to her English professor, letting the teacher know that English wasn’t her first language and that she might need extra help — but that she has to work during the professor’s office hours. Conde said her professor was understanding and that communicating this early was key.

“I got this far because I wasn’t scared or embarrassed to reach out to other people,” Conde said.

If something seems confusing or daunting, ask. Email a professor. Consult with the person sitting next to you in class. Pop into an academic adviser’s office. Give the financial aid office a call. Even if the person you ask doesn’t know the answer, MSU Denver’s Scott said someone within the university can usually point you in the right direction.

You’re not alone, so find your community

Some universities in Colorado have programs specifically for first-generation students that offer mentorship and a community for learners with similar backgrounds. Metro State boasts Roadrunners First. University of Colorado Denver and the Community College of Denver have first year experience programs.

Mayra Lopez-Gallegos, a 2019 University of Colorado Denver graduate and first-generation college student, said even outside of those groups, it was crucial for her to join clubs and organizations. Lopez-Gallegos, 22, said she blossomed when she joined student government on campus and asked around for internship opportunities or volunteer work.

“You can network,” Lopez-Gallegos said. “You can develop leadership skills, and you can meet friends who are into the same things as you are.”

Use your precious time well