By Latresa Rice
The elderly woman burst into tears, then embraced Helen and said, “Thank you. What are you here in the hospital for?”
“My sister just gave birth to my niece!” Helen replied with great joy.
“Oh that’s beautiful. How old is your sister?” asked the elderly lady.
“She’s 19 years old and she just graduated from Driver’s High School. She received a full-ride scholarship to Hidden Valley University. It is one of the best universities for her because it is well known for its medical program and she wants to be a doctor,” Helen explained.
“She had so much going for her, and just had a baby? Her life is over! That’s so sad,” the elderly woman said.
Helen was furious. Nobody talks about her family members like that! With her eyebrows raised and her face twisted into fifty knots, Helen stood up from where she was playing with the children, placed her hand on her hip and said…”
And the story continues once you acquire your copy of the book “Burning the Help”.
Now that I have your attention, let’s look at this brief excerpt from the book and discuss how it applies to being first gen. Like Helen who is the eldest sibling, oftentimes those who are First Gen feel responsible for their family and are pulled into a plethora of directions. Like the sister that is mentioned in the above excerpt, some of us may not have made the best choices. And like the elderly lady in the above excerpt, others may make rash assumptions about your potential success based on your current circumstance or the choices that you made in the past.
According to the “National Data Fact Sheets on First-generation College Students and Graduates. As of 2020, 54% of undergraduate students in the United States identified as first-generation, defined as an undergraduate student whose parents do not have a bachelor’s degree.” (https://firstgen.naspa.org/journal-and-research/national-data-fact-sheets-on-first-generation-college-students-and-graduates/553E0FD8-F43B-4C40-99EE52FE842B3FB6)
As a First Gen student, you are creating a pathway for others in your family, community and those connected to you to follow. Know that you are not alone in this mission and it is ok to seek assistance. We are all better together. As a First gen alumnae of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Central Michigan University, I am honored to salute you as you continue to pursue greatness.
