First Generation

“My advice for first-generation students wanting to start their studies at YVC is to stay focused,” says Maricela Ramos. “Staying focused on what you want to accomplish and working hard to reach your goals is the most important thing. I believe that the path may not always be easy, but it’s always possible.”

Ramos credits the support available at YVC with helping promote student success, and wants students to remember to seek help if they need it.

“At YVC there are many nice faculty, staff and supervisors to help you accomplish your goals. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

First-generation student Yadira Chavez feels that getting involved in campus life was a key step in helping her succeed on campus.

“The Transfer and Connection Bridge clubs gave me support to be successful at YVC,” says Chavez. “They helped me navigate the college system and also they helped me to find all of the resources that YVC has available.

First-generation and Running Start student Rafaela Ceja thinks taking advantage of resources is vital for first-generation students.

“The biggest advice I would give to first-generation students is to take advantage of resources,” says Ceja. “Always look for help when you are feeling lost. For me as a Running Start student the counseling office and Upward Bound program have been very helpful to me.”

First-generation student Gabriela Martinez feels communication and resources are the key to finding success. “The most helpful resource to me as a first-generation student was the good communication I had with the teachers who were teaching me English in YVC’s ESL and ABE programs,” stated Gabriela Martinez. Martinez also thinks courage is a key factor in achieving success and is proud of herself and other first-generation students for pursuing their degrees. “Be courageous and don’t be afraid to ask for help. I am proud of [myself for] breaking the cycle of not pursuing higher education for many generations in my family. I am proud of having the opportunity of being a first-generation student and most proud of taking advantage of this opportunity [even] though it hasn’t been easy.”

“Finding support and accessing resources as a first-generation student is crucial, yet, it can feel staggering, overwhelming and even crushing,” states English Instructor Kristy Webster. Webster dropped out of public high school when she was 16-years old and didn’t return to school until she was 25, divorced, and a single mother with two small children.

Webster credits the support from other students as keys to her success. “Because of my family’s culture and belief system, I had little to no family support when I chose to pursue my education. Instead, I had to rely on my own determination and will to succeed, which left me often feeling defeated and alone. However, I eventually found a support system among other single mother students. In fact, though I was sometimes lucky enough to encounter teachers and advisors who took a personal interest in me, it was mostly other students who gave me the support, encouragement and the social capital that I needed to succeed. I am so grateful to these students who became lifelong friends for helping me navigate difficult moments that for first-generation students often feel insurmountable.”

“I am most proud of getting my doctorate degree in education, specializing in higher education at the young age of 26,” states YVC Alumna Kimberly Mendoza. “As a young educated Latina growing up in a single parent, low socio-economic background in the Yakima Valley, these types of accomplishments are rare.”

Mendoza credits some of her success to the support she received from campus resources.

“As a first-generation student, the most helpful resource for me was the tutoring services that were offered at YVC, especially in math, as I struggled a lot in that area and having that helped me succeed in my courses. In addition, having mentors and advisors to help navigate through my first few years of college and acquire the necessary resources to succeed was also very beneficial for me.”

She hopes to help inspire others like her. “I am proud of all my educational accomplishments and the teaching career I have today as a high school ELL teacher. Being a first-generation student is never easy, as you are paving a way that has not been there for you before; nevertheless, creating that path is the first step to making a positive and impactful difference as an entire first-generation community.”

“Being a first-generation student was hard, intimidating and frustrating. At that time, there were no resources to help first-gen students in my college [and] I had no idea what to expect,” shared Math Instructor Panyada Sullivan. “One of the greatest things about being a first-generation college student is being able to blaze and create my own path and my own experience to revise. That’s where I saw myself grow and I know it’s gotten me to where I am today.”

First-generation student, Celeste Galvan shares “I found support in every single building here. At registration, I found a person who directed me to the writing center, the math center. All the tutors, they were amazing. The teachers always were available to help me out.”

First-generation student and now instructor Keith Reyes, states “I’m most proud of the fact that I was able to not just survive but to succeed and to thrive in what is a really difficult and challenging and just confusing experience for first-generation college students. The work that I’m doing day in and day out at YVC means everything because it is ultimately the legacy that I’m going to leave behind long after the wind has left my body.”

Student Carlos Trejo thinks getting out of your comfort zone is a key to finding success as a first-generation college student. “Being a first-generation student, college can be very intimidating, which can often lead to complacency. Reaching outside of your comfort zone is critical during this time because it allows one to truly discover themself. By challenging yourself, you begin to learn strengths and weaknesses that you may have not found otherwise. Success is a moving target, by stepping out of your comfort zone you will naturally be able to achieve more and ultimately become the best version of yourself.”

YVC Information Technology Instructor Stefan Apperson, a first-generation college student, struggled for years before earning his college degree. “I learned quickly how different college was from high school but didn’t learn to seek help when needed,” states Apperson.  “After three years at community college, I had only earned 82 credits and had a 2.78 GPA.” At 25, Apperson was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness and told he had only five years before it would leave him disabled. With a renewed vigor, he returned to school bent on not only earning his bachelor’s but also pursuing a master’s to provide better opportunities for his future. He earned a bachelor’s degree and began attending a master’s program at Oregon State University. “At OSU, I met with an advisor regularly. Regular advising and having a first-generation mentor professor made a huge difference in my graduate degree trajectory. I know first-hand the importance of having and being a first-generation mentor with a sincere desire to help students. ”

“I have been involved with the YVC Upward Bound Program since the summer going into my freshman year of high school and it has helped me tremendously,” states Running Start student Kayla Villanueva. “Not only has this program provided me with resources that I otherwise wouldn’t have as a first-generation student (such as college/scholarship application assistance), it also gave me an opportunity to connect with other first-generation students who were either still in high school or have already graduated college and started their career.”

“My first years as an undergrad were full of turmoil and challenge,” recounts Biology Instructor Matthew Loeser. “I recall one of those days in my introductory chemistry class. I had just received my midterm exam and it appeared that I had the lowest test score in the class. I thought about quitting. I thought about leaving college for the Army. I persisted and it is part of how I built my resilience.”

“The one thing that I really lacked while in college was confidence in myself. It means a lot to me that I can help students like myself realize their potential and develop the confidence to go on to do great things, whether they stay in the community or move on elsewhere. Being part of helping students build their confidence assures me that what I’m doing is worth the effort. Being part of their personal growth gives me hope for the future.”