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Pathfinders: A New Generation
Takes the First Steps to College
By Jillian Hanson
When Sarah Coburn looks back on her days as a high school
senior in Waterbury, Connecticut, she remembers that although she was a good student
she felt confused and lacked direction about where to head next. While this may not
be at all unusual for the average teenager facing adulthood, she was, perhaps, less
prepared to plan for college than many of her classmates. That is because Coburn—who
will graduate from Smith in 2007—is considered a “first-generation” student:
one who comes from a family in which neither parent graduated from a four-year college
or university.
Coburn is among a growing number who arrive at Smith
as first-generation students: 19 percent of the class of 2009 are first-generation;
the incoming class of 2010 boasts 22 percent. These impressive numbers are the result
of Smith’s ongoing commitment to providing a diverse population of academically
qualified students with an extraordinary educational experience. According to Smith
Dean of Enrollment Audrey Smith, the Office of Admission targets many distinct groups
in its recruitment efforts, including first-generation students. “Admissions
can partner with high school guidance counselors and staff of social service agencies
to recruit exceptional first-generation students still in high school,” Smith
says. “We target certain geographic regions and populations, such as Spanish-speaking
students. We try to have a very individualized approach for each prospective student—what
kind of outreach and support will help them enroll at Smith?”
Overall, first-generation students are no different
from their undergraduate peers, reflecting the intelligence, motivation, skills and
leadership qualities necessary to succeed at Smith. On the other hand, first-generation
students also face a particular set of challenges. Without models or parental support
in negotiating the transition to college, first-generation students must forge new
territory in their own lives and within the culture of their families. Even those
parents who have attended two-year colleges may lack the knowledge and experience
necessary to help their children navigate the complicated and sometimes bewildering
processes of applying to and selecting a four-year college or university and adjusting
to life away from home.
Haydee Esquivel joined the Smith class of 2010 this
fall. |
In addition, first-generation students can encounter
other obstacles. Research shows that families of first-generation students sometimes
may not provide emotional support and even try to discourage their children from
attending college for fear that it will draw them away from parents and siblings.
First-generation students are also more susceptible to doubts about their academic
abilities; they may have grown up thinking they are not “college material.” On
the college campus, they may also feel an uncomfortable sense of separation from
the culture in which they were raised. All of these factors add to the stress of
adapting to college life and can make academic success even more difficult.
However, once they arrive on campus, first-generation
Smith students can take advantage of myriad institutional, social and academic supports
to help them succeed. “There’s real sensitivity to the issues that all
students face here, including first-generation students,” says Smith. “Many—but
not all—first-generation students are low-income and/or students of color;
many are first-generation Americans as well. Smith offers specific orientation sessions
addressing a variety of issues, including residence life and academic resources.
There’s also a class dean’s office for each class, and a HONS (head of
new students) in each residence.” Audrey Smith is careful to point out that
the resources available to first-generation students are available to all students. “Because
we have served diverse populations of students for a long time, we have a sensitivity
about that. It’s not within the Smith culture to categorize students or make
assumptions about who they are.”
Studies show that institutional and interpersonal guidance
and support are essential to first-generation students’ ability to complete
four years of college successfully, no matter how determined and motivated they may
be on their own.
Sarah Coburn ’07, right, with her friend Whitney
Dorer ’07 in Emerson House. |
Haydee Esquivel joins the class of 2010 this fall as
a first-generation student and a first-generation American from a low-income, single-parent
family. Born in Boston, Esquivel moved to Costa Rica with her mother and her sister
when she was two and lived there until she was 17—which means she did not learn
to speak English until she moved back to the United States two years ago. Esquivel
has struggled against remarkable odds to get to Smith. When her family arrived back
in the States they lived for a while in a homeless shelter in New Orleans. Still,
she managed to excel in high school, even though she had to work to help support
her family, and eventually ranked third in her senior class with a 4.2 grade point
average. “It has been important for me to be self-sufficient, responsible and
motivated in this new country because when we first arrived my family was undergoing
adjustments of their own and they couldn’t be as helpful as I had hoped,” she
says. “I like that Smith has a lot of academic support because I’m going
to need help with things like grammar and writing papers, since English is not my
first language.” Esquivel plans to study biology and pre-med at Smith. Her
dream is to become a doctor and work with Doctors Without Borders.
Sarah Coburn ’07, who also grew up in a single-parent
family, found Smith’s supportive environment key to her own undergraduate experience. “Without
the Career Development Office and the aid of my professors, I don’t think I
would have felt as ready as I do to take on the next challenge,” she says.
These days, she is focusing on completing her undergraduate degree in English language
and literature and applying to law schools. “I know that as I look ahead I
have a whole team of supporters behind me and a lot of people with a wealth of information
to aid me along the way.” With the support and resources she had at Smith,
Coburn is gaining new ground for herself and her family. “I will be the first
of my family to go on to graduate school,” she says. “My mother is very
proud of me being a Smithie. She loves the school and is thrilled that I’m
able to have this experience. I feel privileged to be a Smith student as well because
my experiences are ones I think my mother and grandmother would have loved to have
had themselves.” |
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