MY STORY

Did you always plan on going to college?

 

Yes! My school did a pretty great job of allowing time to plan out our lives after high school. I remember visiting many career and college fairs in high school. College always seemed like the next natural step despite my parents and grandparents not going.

 

Did your parents encourage you? How supportive have they been throughout the process?

Yes, very much so, but I don't think they pushed me; they empowered me to make my own decisions and supported me whatever direction I set myself on. My parents have done so much for me, driving me to math classes an hour away two times a week for a couple years and supporting any opportunities I thought worthwhile.

 

How much different do you think your life would be if your parents went to college?

I think I would've known and seen a lot more opportunities for what I could do and be. I think it could have been a lot different.

 

What was your personal reason for going to college? Has this changed since being in college?

It just felt like the next step to figuring out what I wanted to do with my life and put myself in that direction. I feel really embarrassed saying it now, but I don't think I was very purposeful or cognizant of what it meant for me to go to college. Part of that thinking I believe derives from not having seen anyone in my own family do it.

 

I now see college as a doorway to whatever you want it to be. College really is what you make of it; it can be a vacation or it can be a steppingstone to something much greater in your future. College is where I broadened my horizons--figuratively and almost literally--and met so many incredible people. I now know from college that I could do pretty much anything out there in the world and it is just a matter of the steps I take.

 

What is your current job?

I am a City Year Boston first year Americorps member. I serve in a 4th grade classroom focusing specifically on setting at-risk students on the path to graduate high school on track and on time.

 

What is your dream job? How has your education influenced your path and current position?

I'm not really sure what the name of my dream job is, but it's one where I'm helping others and making positive impacts in their lives. Currently, I think it's a job in the educational space but we will see how that is shaped in the coming years.

Going to college made me see and face the inequity in our society and realize I needed to do something to combat it. I studied psychology originally intending to do something in a mental health field and assist people and families suffering from mental disorders. I haven't necessarily ruled it out, but after a spending a summer as a camp counselor working against summer learning loss I shifted my focus toward children and education. Boston is also an incredible city and I feel so fortunate to have gone away to college in such a welcoming community. Boston has become a second home and although I may not have intended to stay here in the beginning, it is something I aim to do now.

 

What will be the biggest benefit of your college degree in your personal and professional lives?

It isn't directly related to my degree, but from college I think the biggest benefit was meeting all of the individuals that I did. My residential life provided me with so many supports and networks and I still feel like I could go back for advice for what steps I should take and how to get there.

 

 

Who did you go to for college application advice?

Teachers that I was close to in high school. I also went to a 3 day "camp" of sorts before senior year specifically for first generation college-bound students that educated us about the application process, what college was like and how to apply for financial aid. It was an incredible resource and set me up well to apply for college.

 

Who do you go to for career advice?

I have a mentor at City Year and I also look to my program manager and team leader at CY. My program manager has worked with children in different environments and gives awesome advice and suggestions for what I could do in the future. I also look to the tutors from Kirkland House from time to time and I am sure I will use them as a resource in the future for next steps and how to get where I want to be.

 

Who are the biggest influences on you in your life?

My sister and my mom. My sister is 10 years older than I am and starting her family and she works so incredibly hard for her children and I've also seen my mom do the same for me and my nieces. It is inspiring to know and watch someone care so much for others. In whatever I do, I hope to have that same amount of love in my heart and bring that same level of caring.

 

How much do you feel being a first gen has shaped your college experience? Has it created any added difficulties or challenges?

I think being first gen was especially prevalent for my experience at Harvard. Most other students had parents that went to college and many of them went to Harvard. It took me a little while to realize just how different my experience was; I didn't understand the academic track and lingo and I had an extremely difficult time reaching out for help when courses were overwhelming because I didn't know how. I also think being first gen made it difficult to connect with others that weren't close friends.

 

What was your biggest struggle in college? Before college?

My biggest struggle in college was definitely time management. I never felt I had enough time to do the things I needed to but looking back I had so.much.time. It was ridiculous how much time I wasted. I improved throughout the years but it is definitely something that I work on even today.
 

Before college, I struggled to keep things in perspective. I was so focused on my schoolwork and making sure I did everything perfectly; anything less than a 100 score could derail me for the day, when in reality I did pretty well and that score wouldn't mean much in the grand scheme of life. It's difficult to say if I would have done anything differently in terms of my schoolwork, I don't know if I would be where I am today, but I wish I would've done more things because I wanted to, not because I thought I had to.

 

What does your education mean to you?

 

My education has been the key to opening paths and opportunities that I never thought I could have. My education has informed my perspective and my choices; I honestly have no idea where I would be without it.