Ashley Murray
Photo by Ashley Murray.
Many feel the pressure at a young age that college is the only option and that not attending will bring you down a dark path. However, that is not the case for many first-generation college women who fought and paved their way to stand where they are today.
First-generation college students come from various backgrounds regarding location, income level and parental support. All these factors reflect how many of these females made it to where they now stand.
Ann Worth Saunders is a sophomore pursuing a degree in IMC and is the first in her family to attend college.
“The pressure she received to attend a school from her parents was there but not heavily present,” Saunders said.
To get where she stands today, she said she needed grit and determination.
“Growing up, sometimes I would always feel a little out of place,” Saunders said.
With the traditional elementary school, friends would pit against one another and debate about what in-state college they would attend: the University of Tennessee versus Vanderbilt, the University of Florida versus Florida State. The reveries are endless and typically reflect whose parents went where.
“I knew as well that I wanted to attend one of these great schools,” Saunders said.
These types of frivolous conversations growing up can put a lot of pressure on a child, causing some to fall and others to rise with hard work ethic.
“I have always enjoyed learning and school, so I knew as long as I continued to work hard in my classes, I would be able to attend an amazing school,” Saunders said.
Valeria San Martin is a sophomore studying for a business degree. San Martin and her sister
are the first in their family to attend college.
“I never thought I would be able to attend a big university due to my test scores, but COVID ended up being a huge opportunity for me and allowed me to get into many colleges that I would not have before,” San Martin said.
Proving your worth to your parents can be hard when they typically invest in your future,
especially if high school grades are not up to par.
“I originally planned to attend cosmetology school, and my parents fully supported me. However, I knew that I could not afford to pass up this opportunity,” San Martin said. “It took some convincing, but my parents agreed to send me here, with a few ground conditions about my grades and academics.”
San Martin has to obtain passing grades in all her classes and prove her hard work; if not, she has to return to Florida.
“These are very fair conditions that my parents set up, and I am so grateful to them both for giving me this opportunity they did not have for themselves,” San Martin said.
Many students faced the opposite pressure and knew they had to attend college with their families setting up prepaid programs and 529 plans.
“Instead of viewing your parents’ pressure as a curse, take it as a blessing that they are investing in you and your future,” Saunders said.
