“Nobody can take your education away from you.” This sentence was shared with me often by my parents when I was in middle and high school. They wanted me to go to college and get a degree. They did not care in what field I received a degree. They just wanted good things for me and that included a college education. I am a first-generation college graduate being the first in my immediate family to earn a college degree. Neither of my parents (or grandparents) graduated from college.
Graduation day is a celebration! I’m so excited that my nephew and Godson will be graduating from college this month (first grandchild of my parents to earn a college degree), along with my niece graduating from high school. I can’t wait to be with both of them to celebrate their accomplishments that they worked so hard to achieve. Congratulations!
Accessing higher education was a goal that I made for myself when I was 19. I promised my parents that I would go to college. I started out at a community college and then transferred to a 4-year public university in my home state. This allowed me to save money and make college more affordable by working multiple part-time and full-time jobs while I was a student. I became the first in my family to graduate with a 4-year degree. Then I went on to more educational opportunities and obtained my doctorate. Today, I am the John P. Ellbogen Foundation Professor of Early Childhood Education in the College of Education at the University of Wyoming.
Five things that helped me obtain a college education as a first-generation student are:
~support from my family and friends,
~setting measurable goals and then tracking those goals,
~role models who were doing the job that I wanted,
~seeking mentors and meeting with them on a regular basis, and
~reinforcement by celebrating small and big accomplishments.
Something I tell my daughter and my students is to NEVER GIVE UP. Dream big. Chase those goals. A college degree can open doors to a good life.
My role model (Mom) and me on graduation day.
A version of this blog post appears in First-Gen Campus Connection at University of Wyoming.