My Background

I'm the Oldest sister. I have a younger brother who is class of 2016, also at Harvard. Im from northern Cal, My mother is from Cali and my father was born and raised in Mexico. I went to a Charter school for high school- Before that I went to traditional public schools. 

 

My grandparents didnt go to college because there weren't any educational opportunities to do so. My father received legal status when he turned 18. He went back to Mexico to finish his high school degree. He decided to come to the US then, he wanted to go to colelge but he didnt have any English proficiency to do so. My mom was not interested in pursuing further education.

 

Did you always know you were going to college?

Yes, I always planned on going to college. I think my parents always placed it as a high priority, but I think my parents wanted me to stay within California. I had set my sights higher. I was really interested in pursuing schools at the highest caliber and not considering geographic proximity to my home.

 

My father definitely has some regrets about not going having the opportunity to college- he is very intelligent and it's unfortunate that language was a barrier and that he was not able to pass the barrier when he had resources to do so.

 

I think that my dad very much has had a hard knock life and doesnt necessarily want the same for us. He always said "if you don't study hard, you are going to have to go pick tomatoes" which is something that made me uncomfortable at times because he that's what he did. 

They valued their experiences but pushed us to avoid that kind of background. 

 

 

Do you think your life would have been different if you weren't a first gen? 

I don't think I could've gone to a better college. But I do think I would've come to college a lot more prepared. One of friends has a parent who works at the Harvard Business school. Her parents complain that she doesn't network enough. I dont think my parents would prioritize that or know fully what that means. 

 

I think their priorities for what I should do at college differ a lot from parents who have been to college. I think my college experience might've been a little more robust had I had parents who went to college. For example, I really wanted to take a gap year to decide what I wanted to study and to heal some injuries. They told me they would not fund anymore of my college if I decided to do that.

 

Why did you decide to go to college? 

There are several reasons why I always wanted to go to college. One being that I wanted to have the opportunities that are unique to a college educated person.

 

But also Its very important to me to be a role model to other hispanics and hispanic females in particular. I think part of that requires hard work and getting a college degree, and showng thatshould be a norm and that it is possible whether or not your parents went to college or have a high socioeconomic status.

 

What's your dream job? 

I probably change my dream job once a month- but currently I think I would love to work at the world bank or work for think tank that develops policy-- and I would love to helping to develop policy that would be used in Latin America. I am writing a thesis on a type of social policy and it something I would like to continue doing. 

 

How will your degree affect your personal and professional lives? 

I think that the Harvard name carries a lot of weight, and gives a lot of social status and respect that i might not otherwise have. When I introduce myself as a Harvard student I think people automatically associate me with a certain amount of intelligence and take me seriously. I think my education has given me the ability to think critically, question ideas, and express my opinions and ideas. And I know when I dont have enough information to form an opinion. 

 

I think generally and overall that it has made me a very well rounded person and feel ready to take advantage of opportunities that come my way. 

 

What has your experience been like as a first gen? 

I would say what was hard for me being First Gen was that I didn't have anyone specifically, or individually to go to for college app advice. I remember when I was applying- even my college advisor questioned my motives for applying to college because she thought it was a waste of time. 

 

That was probably the biggest struggle, but after going through it myself I was actually able to help my younger brother..

I have taken advantage of my sophomore advisor a lot by being able to address all of my concerns and ideas for the future and having someone to pursue ideas and also think more openly.

 

I have taken advantage of Office of Career Services- I have scheduled drop in hours and longer appointments to meet with them and they have been helpful

 

My thesis advisor has had a large influence on me. We meet every week and have an hour talk that starts and it always begins with a personal familiarizing and say how we are doing. She travels the world, she studies what I am interested in, people take her seriously, she is a head scholar in what she does and I know it is possible for me to do the same.

 

Have there been any downsides to going to college?

Personally, I havent found any downsides. I think it might be useful to take a year off to see what exactly interests you or even get a job at a coffee shop because it teaches real world skills which are valuable.

 

What does your education mean to you? 

My education means everything to me. 

I think it opened up so many gates in the real world and also things in my own mind. In the sense there are so many things I didnt know I was interested in or that I knew existed. Education has shown me the light. It has been so crucial for my future.