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Galloway, N.J. – “We have the opportunity to be trailblazers, make history and leave a legacy, so while it may be challenging at times, being first generation is in fact a distinction, not a deficit.”

Jovin Fernandez, director of the ������ Multicultural Center, provided encouragement and reflection as a former first-generation student as part of a panel discussion on Nov. 3, kicking off ������’s celebration of National First-Generation Week. 

She spoke about how envisioning the future has been her biggest motivator in pursuing success.

“For me, it’s all about my future family and breaking generational curses,” Fernandez said. “Also, I knew while in college that I was going to work with youth, so when I thought about the people I was going to serve in the future, I realized I couldn’t ask them to do hard things if I wasn’t embodying the same journey.”

First-generation students comprise over half of ������’s community.

Hosted in the Multicultural Center, the panel discussion, titled “Pioneering Pathways: Unpacking the First-Gen Experience,” brought together students, faculty and staff who were the first in their families to pursue higher education.

Student panelist Yobani Cu Perez of Atlantic City echoed Fernandez's perspective, sharing that being the eldest of his siblings has pushed him to be a “role model” for his family and to continue making his parents proud.

“As their first child and the first in the family to complete high school and go to college, I’ve been put on a big pedestal. To be on that pedestal, I need to feel worthy of it, and being here at ������ has made me feel like I am,” said Cu Perez, who is in his first year as a major. “I don’t know what I’d do without their support.”

Being a first-generation student can include distinct challenges, including a higher risk of burnout due to the difficult combination of personal, professional and academic stress. 

Senior Karrington Tibbs, who is studying Social Work said navigating the risk of burnout became easier after a conversation with one of her professors, who challenged her to practice self-care.

“One concept that is pushed in the social work field is self-care, and that’s something that I struggled with when I first came to ������,” Tibbs of Pennsville Township said. “I had a great professor last year who saw me struggling, sat me down and told me to take the weekend and find something that was not school-related that relaxed me. Every once in a while, I need those self-care moments to deal with the chaos.”

As a major in the midst of an ever-changing and evolving media landscape, sophomore Amanda Tague of Sicklerville reflected on how success seemed unattainable at first. However, she has since had a change of heart due to the support she has received at ������.

“Starting my experience at ������ and making connections has made me see that my dream is reachable, especially since the people around me and in the same spaces as I have been able to reach theirs,” Tague said. 

– Story by Loukaia Taylor

– Photos by Susan Allen

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