This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org.
Support groups can be a powerful way for first-generation students to find community with like-minded people in a safe environment. Educational research on first-generation students, who are generally identified as those whose parents did not attend a two- or four-year college or university, reports that they are more likely to have academic, social, professional and cultural difficulties than students with college-educated parents. For example, because first-generation students often have to work to help pay for college, they tend to be less involved in extracurricular activities and cultural experiences on campus. First-generation students more frequently struggle with reading, writing and oral communication skills when compared with non-first-generation students. And, when first-generation students struggle in courses, they are less likely to approach their professors for help or use academic support services because it can be intimidating to reach out in an already-unfamiliar academic culture.
Feeling Silenced
When I teach classes and counsel advisees, I frequently encounter first-generation students who feel silenced because some of their classmates assume that others at our private liberal arts college have similarly privileged backgrounds. Certainly, a good number of students at the expensive institution where I am a faculty member do come from middle- and upper-middle-class backgrounds; but, this is not always the case, especially as my college joins many others across the country in using admissions initiatives to attract a diverse student body.
I can certainly relate to these students’ feelings. I attended Oberlin College, an elite private college with a high proportion of well-off students from urban areas. As a first-generation college student, I struggled with intense cultural transition upon arriving on a campus with middle-class social norms. Many of the cultural mores and experiences of middle-class life, such as previous international travel and exposure to cultural events, were unspoken and assumed by my classmates and professors.
I rarely spoke about my family or high school and just tried to blend in. I loved the college’s intellectual culture and immersed myself in campus activities such as student media. Luckily, Seattle-influenced grunge was practically the unofficial school uniform during my undergraduate years, so at least my thrift store clothing finds did not outwardly distinguish me.
Creating a First-generation Student Support Group
Even though a first-generation student may appear to physically fit in on campus, the emotional, cultural and academic aspects of the college experience can be other hurdles altogether. I would have loved to have had other sympathetic first-generation students to consult during the times when I felt most alone. Guided by such recollections, my colleague and I created our campus support group for first-generation students.
The Leadership: Staff, Students or Both?
First-generation support groups can follow various models. They can be solely student-organized and moderated; or, faculty and/or staff might organize the group and start the discussions, and perhaps later have students take the lead during the meetings. Another group structure is a hybrid approach in which faculty, staff and students develop and lead the group together.
A staff-organized group has important strengths. First, staff and faculty can provide expertise about first-generation issues. Second, since they interact with many students, they can quickly spread the word about the group. In addition, campus offices can provide financial resources. For instance, student support services often operate on tight budgets, but they may have funding available for incrementals such as photocopying, snacks and even a low-cost guest speaker.
Student-generated groups can also be highly effective. In my own experience, students appreciate the assistance of faculty and staff mentors, but they often respond best to invitations from other students. Unlike faculty, many students live on campus and interact with their peers in social and living situations. You know your peers the best.
For a student seeking to organize a group, the first step is to contact the campus office that assists first-generation students. If you aren’t sure what this office is, ask your academic adviser or go to the financial aid office.
Regardless of if the group is student-organized or not, the group should make use of campus resources by inviting guest speakers who can discuss topics relevant to first-generation students. The group will likely discover that some of their professors and staff were first-generation students and can offer valuable insight from their experiences.
The Approach: Discussion-based, Programmed or Hybrid?
Group meetings can be solely discussion-based or programmed. The discussion approach might be open-ended, with students sharing whatever issues are on their minds that day, or could include question prompts offered by the leader. A second type of approach involves a programmed model, meaning that the sessions could be structured around guest speakers presenting on topics such as financial aid, studying abroad or internships that are relevant to first-generation students. A group might also follow a hybrid discussion and programmed approach.
Although each group model has particular strengths, the model used and issues addressed should depend on the first-generation students taking part and the type of institution. For example, issues related to juggling child care with work and studies may well not apply to most students at a traditional four-year residential college.
While we devoted some meetings to just discussion, other meetings were programmed. At one event, we invited a staff member from financial aid to discuss study-abroad funding. We also invited the head of our academic learning center to discuss tutoring and test-taking support. Still another meeting covered how to apply to graduate school with financial aid in mind.
When and Where
Whether organized by students or staff, groups can meet as often as they like. At Hope College, we sometimes had a monthly gathering around dinner in a meeting room near the campus dining hall. This allowed students to use meal points instead of purchasing a dinner out; the multicultural education office sponsored the cost of dinner for students not on the college meal plan. Other times, we met over a take-out pizza lunch on campus.
Spreading the Word
In establishing a support group, don’t discount the power of social media; for example, you could set up a closed or open Facebook page. Spread the word through posters on campus. Contact your student newspaper and radio station to generate news stories about your new campus group and take advantage of this opportunity to educate other students, faculty and staff about first-generation issues on your campus. Offer first-generation faculty and/or staff as expert sources who can provide quotes for these news stories.
The Power in Sharing the First-generation Experience
In May 2007, National Public Radio affiliate KSMU profiled a first-generation support group at Ozarks Technical Community College in southwest Missouri. The group had invited Rosa Kavanaugh, an assistant dean at the college who was once a first-generation student, to speak. “Every one of you has a dream, and every one of you has an opportunity to achieve something that your parents weren’t able to achieve,” Kavanaugh said. “You need to listen to the people who encourage you, keep your goal in focus and you will accomplish more than you ever could imagine.”
Meeting first-generation faculty and staff like Kavanaugh not only provides students with examples of successful roles models, but also reassures students that they are not alone in their journey. Today, many institutions such as North Lake College in Texas, the University of Southern California and Princeton University have some form of first-generation support group. No matter what form your school’s group takes, there is great power in sharing our experiences as we help others at different places along the path to higher education.