Overview

In Experiences from First Generation College Graduates, 31 alumni who were the first in their family to obtain a college degree share their experiences in college. These stories illuminate how the struggles of first-generation students are primarily due to a combination of multiple social inequities that are ignored, reinforced, and perpetuated by exclusive college systems. These authors speak directly to current and future first generation students, offering tips and advice for success, along with powerful words of encouragement in their emotionally rich narratives. College faculty and staff are challenged to shift their perspectives from viewing these students from a deficit lens or attempting to make them more like continuing-generation students, to instead having deeply honest confrontations with the pedagogies and structures of college, which are frequently so ingrained that they are invisible, and that cater to continuing-generation students, who are often predominantly white, middle- and upper-class. Colleges can create a more equitable system in which universities are enriched by the wisdom, experiences, and talents of first-generation students while promoting a generative culture for all students.

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9781538162415

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Reviews

The stories from Know That You Are Worthy: Experiences from First Generation College Graduates speak from the heart and contain critical insights and guidance. A must-read for students so that they know they are not alone in their own pursuit of success.--Valerie De Cruz, drector, Greenfield Intercultural Center, University of Pennsylvania This book is an inspiration for first-generation students who are currently on their college journeys that need to hear that they too can succeed. You are not alone in your experiences! Thank you to the author and contributors of this book for sharing their successes, failures, and tenacity with us!--Charmaine E. Troy, PhD, CEO of Troy Education Consulting, author of Developing and Implementing Promising Practices and Programs for First-Generation College Students Know That You Are Worthy will be a gift to the field ranging from high school and college access programs to colleges/universities and beyond. It is often difficult to balance multiple audiences--in this case, current students, as well as instructors and administrators--but Rodriguez does this quite well. This text is practical but also research-driven. I would strongly encourage that programs like AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and TRIO (programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act), as well as the many first-generation-only seminars across institutions incorporate this book into their curriculum. Many first-generation students will see themselves in these narratives and will feel empowered. Come for the stories but stay for the recommendations!--La'Tonya Rease Miles Many students, especially those who are the first in their family to attend college, feel alone. This saps them of their power, undermines their potential, and often impedes their progress. This book offers a welcome antidote: personal stories from diverse yet uniformly compassionate narrators. It will be a valuable teaching tool for educating students, but also faculty, staff, and administrators.--Sara Goldrick-Rab, founder of the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice and author of Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream This book is quite impressive; it is organized around themes that have been central to the discussion of first-generation students.--Amy Baldwin, EdD, senior lecturer of writing, literacy, and academic success, Department of Student Transitions, University of Central Arkansas This book unpacks the diverse and multifaceted experiences of 'being a first-generation student.' It is inspiring for both students and practitioners to normalize being first-generation and better support first-generation students in college.--Xiaodan Hu, Department of Counseling and Higher Education, Northern Illinois University Using the voices of first-generation graduates to illustrate the academic, social, cultural, and psychological challenges faced by these students, Know That You Are Worthy provides shared common experiences and advice for incoming first-generation students, as well as recommendations for colleges, faculty, and staff for ways to work towards equity in education opportunities. Readers and those working with first-generation students will be able to more fully understand the unique joys and obstacles experienced by this varied group of learners.--Mo Cuevas, PhD, LCSW, professor, Worden School of Social Service, Our Lady of the Lake University

As access to higher education has increased, first-generation students have become a growing and distinctive population at U.S. colleges and universities. Ensuring student success for first-gens requires that college and university leaders, faculty, and staff understand the unique challenges of this student population, in order to best design programs and curriculum that meet their needs. Know That You Are Worthy: Experiences from First-Generation College Graduates offers important insights into the experiences of first-generation college graduates, helping to humanize first-gen students' experiences and providing recommendations for colleges that aim to improve first-generation student success.--Teniell L. Trolian, University at Albany, State University of New York Know That You Are Worthy will be a gift to the field ranging from high school and college access programs to colleges/universities and beyond. It is often difficult to balance multiple audiences--in this case, current students, as well as instructors and administrators--but Rodríguez does this quite well. This text is practical but also research-driven. I would strongly encourage that programs like AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and TRIO (programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act), as well as the many first-generation-only seminars across institutions incorporate this book into their curriculum. Many first-generation students will see themselves in these narratives and will feel empowered. Come for the stories but stay for the recommendations!--La'Tonya Rease Miles Many students, especially those who are the first in their family to attend college, feel alone. This saps them of their power, undermines their potential, and often impedes their progress. This book offers a welcome antidote: personal stories from diverse yet uniformly compassionate narrators. It will be a valuable teaching tool for educating students, but also faculty, staff, and administrators.--Sara Goldrick-Rab, founder of the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice and author of Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream The stories from Know That You Are Worthy: Experiences from First Generation College Graduates speak from the heart and contain critical insights and guidance. A must-read for students so that they know they are not alone in their own pursuit of success.--Valerie De Cruz, drector, Greenfield Intercultural Center, University of Pennsylvania This book is an inspiration for first-generation students who are currently on their college journeys and who need to hear that they too can succeed. You are not alone in your experiences! Thank you to the author and contributors of this book for sharing their successes, failures, and tenacity with us!--Charmaine E. Troy, PhD, associated director of First-Generation Student Initiatives, Georgia Institute of Technology and author of Developing and Implementing Promising Practices and Programs for First-Generation College Students This book is quite impressive; it is organized around themes that have been central to the discussion of first-generation students.--Amy Baldwin, EdD, senior lecturer of writing, literacy, and academic success, Department of Student Transitions, University of Central Arkansas This book unpacks the diverse and multifaceted experiences of 'being a first-generation student.' It is inspiring for both students and practitioners to normalize being first-generation and better support first-generation students in college.--Xiaodan Hu, Department of Counseling and Higher Education, Northern Illinois University Using the voices of first-generation graduates to illustrate the academic, social, cultural, and psychological challenges faced by these students, Know That You Are Worthy provides shared common experiences and advice for incoming first-generation students, as well as recommendations for colleges, faculty, and staff for ways to work towards equity in education opportunities. Readers and those working with first-generation students will be able to more fully understand the unique joys and obstacles experienced by this varied group of learners.--Mo Cuevas, PhD, LCSW, professor, Worden School of Social Service, Our Lady of the Lake University

This book is quite impressive; it is organized around themes that have been central to the discussion of first generation students.--Amy Baldwin, EdD, senior lecturer of writing, literacy, and academic success, Department of Student Transitions, University of Central Arkansas This book unpacks the diverse and multifaceted experiences of 'being a first generation student.' It is inspiring for both students and practitioners to normalize being first generation and better support first generation students in college.--Xiaodan Hu, Department of Counseling and Higher Education, Northern Illinois University Using the voices of first generation graduates to illustrate the academic, social, cultural, and psychological challenges faced by these students, Know That You Are Worthy provides shared common experiences and advice for incoming first generation students, as well as recommendations for colleges, faculty, and staff for ways to work towards equity in education opportunities. Readers and those working with first generation students will be able to more fully understand the unique joys and obstacles experienced by this varied group of learners.--Mo Cuevas, PhD, LCSW, professor, Worden School of Social Service, Our Lady of the Lake University

Author Information

Adam J. Rodríguez, PsyD, is a first-generation college graduate and psychoanalytic psychologist in private practice. His pursuit of a college degree took him 15 years, spanning 4 community colleges, including Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, CA; 2 four-year universities, including San Francisco State University where he completed his bachelors at the age of 32; and four years of graduate school at The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. In his practice and scholarly work, Dr. Rodríguez is interested in the study of first-generation college students, multiracial identities, the intersection of race/ethnicity and class, and the connections between music and clinical work. He is a board member of Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN), an organization which advocates for therapies of depth, insight, and relationship. Yolanda Norman, EdD, currently serves as Associate Vice President of Student Development at Concordia University Texas and CEO of FirstGenCollege Consulting. As a low-income first-generation college student-athlete when she entered college, Dr. Norman often questioned her own journey for a college education and daily fought the negative thoughts telling her she did not belong. Today she spends her time on campus and within the community championing strategies focused on successful student development, working nationally with organizations to help students aspire to and persist towards college graduation, and engaging with first-generation college graduate professionals helping to build strong leadership. Learn more about her work at MyFirstgenCollege.com and stay engaged with her online at @FirstGenCollege. Contributors include: Sonja Ardoin, Glynis Boyd Hughes, Kallie Clark, Maria Dykema Erb, Jeremy Edwards, Mayra González Menjívar, Racquez Gutierrez Cortez, Patricia Harris, David Hernández, Karen Hill, Emilee Claire Inez, Dawna Jones, Jennifer Lieurance, Yvonne M. Luna, Adj Marshall, Ivonne Martínez, T. Mark Montoya, Ulises Morales, Mytien Nguyen, Lynn Pepin, Henry Rosas Ibarra, Kamina P. Richardson, Sean Richardson, Mike Santaniello, Stephen Santa-Ramirez, Clifton E. Shambry, Jr., Joyce Stewart, Anthony Vargas, Desireé Vega, David Winston, and Kevin L. Wright

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