Blog
Find advice and follow the college experiences of our current first-gen student bloggers.
Can't Visit? Don't Stress?
This article is published in the 2017 I’m First Guide to College Visiting a college campus is definitely the best way to determine if a school is going to be a good fit for you or not. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider schools that you can’t...
Visiting College for FREE!
This article is published in the 2017 I’m First Guide to College By Joe Tavares The biggest question you need to answer before choosing your future college home is “what would it really be like for me at this school?” No matter how much research you do, how many...
Where to Search for Scholarships
There are tons of scholarships out in the world and beginning to search for them can be a bit overwhelming. Below are a few places you can begin your scholarship search: 1. Colleges and Universities: The schools that you've applied to have a large variety of...
#MentorsMatter Twitter Chat Recap
On January 31st, Strive for College had the honor of being a part of #MentorsMatter Twitter chat! Hosted by Better Make Room and ACT Equity, the chat focused on the importance of mentorship for student from first-generation, low-income and at-risk backgrounds. Check...
The Positivity of Selfishness
As January comes to an end, I reflect on the resolution I made nearly a month ago. My New Years resolution for 2017 is to be more selfish. It is important to stress that I do not mean selfish within a negative context. To be selfish for me means I am declaring this...
I am an immigrant, I am a first generation college student, I am a student of color and I am also a college graduate
This semester I am co-facilitating a one credit course titled Beyond the Border: Immigration Stories. My co-facilitator and I knew we wanted to teach a one credit course as sophomores, but we were not sure what we wanted our course to be about. I knew I wanted it to...
Para, para, paradise
Just a week ago, I landed to a whole new world, that is Madrid, Spain. The travel to get here was an upside down, thrilling rollercoaster ride inside my stomach. Nine hours of direct flight from Texas across the Atlantic Ocean to where I am now still blows my mind....
Being Together
Coming back home for Winter Break, I wanted to catch up with everyone: friends coming back home from college, a marine friend whose time was limited at home, mentors, coworkers, and cousins. I also had my family. I tried to budget time between everyone within the...
Radical Balancing
Man has it been a while since my last post (like an entire semester). I can't believe I'm still a functioning human being. Oddly enough, my first Junior semester in college has reflected my first Junior semester in high school, extremely challenging and pulling...
Do all first generation college students value education and hard work?
Today as I was walking on campus I came across one of my friends who is also a first generation college student. My friend is a junior and I am a senior. It just happens to be that today there was a planning conference going on for sophomores to help them plan the...