Celebrating first-generation faculty and staff
Many faculty and staff at the University of Minnesota got their start in higher education as first-generation college students — those who don’t have family members who’ve completed a four-year degree. Now serving as mentors and leaders, their experiences continue to inspire and empower the next generation of students to pursue their dreams — no matter where they start.
David Haines
David Haines, senior teaching specialist in the Center for Learning Innovation at Rochester, knew he wanted to be a faculty member at a university. His journey, though, wouldn’t have happened without his sister, who helped him complete the FAFSA and other enrollment requirements. “She had my mom's taxes and all that stuff so that I could fill it out,” says Haines. “I was lucky that I had her to help me get through it.” That support and vision for the future pushed Haines to get his bachelor’s and be the first in his family to get a graduate degree.
Now, as a faculty member, Haines makes sure to bring empathy to the classroom to support his students. “Thing is, I don't know which of my students are first-generation, so I just try to hold my students accountable, but be supportive and available to them wherever I can,” says Haines. In practice, that means addressing the “hidden curriculum” (unwritten and unofficial lessons that students learn in school), providing snacks in his office and making sure students know that he’s a first-generation student.
What’s one thing University faculty and staff can do to support first-generation students?
“Referring back to and reinforcing the things they learn in Cornerstone (or other foundational skills classes).”
Luis Islas
Luis Islas, senior development officer for Duluth’s Swenson College of Science and Engineering, thought college was always out of reach. No one in his family went or knew anyone who went to college, and community expectations saw people enter the workforce at a very young age. ”Initially, my family thought that I was trying to escape my responsibilities and my duties to my family by asking or even considering going to college,” says Islas. Yet through persistence — and 40-minute bike rides to the library — he applied and fell in love with college. On visits home, he would rave about his experiences, and that joy and motivation rippled to his siblings and cousins to consider pursuing higher education.
Now, Islas interacts with donors whose scholarships are making a difference for other first-generation students. He shares that all it takes is one person to change the trajectory of a student’s future, because it happened for him. “I thought, wow, this person sees me as a person and knows that not only do I have an interest, but I'm gifted in some way,” says Islas. Having attended both undergraduate and graduate school, and the Peace Corps, Islas is always on a mission to advocate for students navigating difficult circumstances, that they are brilliant and capable of making an impact on the world, whether they believe it or not.
What’s one thing University faculty and staff can do to support first-generation students?
“Helping students find community, build community, and find connections amongst themselves and with their faculty and staff is incredibly important. Just reminding people to remember the humanity of it all.”
Tevelung Lee
For Tevelung Lee, associate director of the Asian Pacific American Resource Center at the Twin Cities campus, there was a lot of anxiety in being the first to graduate from college. A child of refugee parents, Lee navigated many firsts for education in the United States. “Both the blessing and the curse of being a first-gen student is that you're paving the way,” he says. “You often feel alone, but at the same time, you're bringing along your family, your whole community.” With support from TRIO Upward Bound and college advisors, he has received associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees.
Now on campus, Lee uses his first-generation experience to be a guiding light for students. Through continued conversations, students connect with mentors and campus programs to not just navigate the classroom, but also life outside it, and what comes next. “[Having students] be able to hear my story and see that if I can do it, they can do it too, is a very beautiful moment,” he says.
What’s one thing University faculty and staff can do to support first-generation students?
“No act is too big or too small. Any help, any advice that they can give creates a ripple effect that will continue to give and shape first-generation college student experiences.”
Mauri Systo
Mauri Systo, assistant professor of anthropology in the Division of the Social Sciences at Morris, didn’t have much sense of where to go to college or what to study. Growing up in rural Kentucky, her small high school focused on trades and agriculture. But when she took an anthropology class freshman year and fell in love, she stuck with it — with very little guidance — all the way to graduate school and now as an educator.
“One thing I appreciate most about working for Morris is the support and pride that we provide for our first-generation students,” says Systo. Her experience with that identity has influenced her teaching and mentorship approaches to uncover the hidden curriculum. Systo also acknowledges that integration for faculty and staff into academia is just as important as it is for students. “There are a lot of rules that you have to pick up and that can be really difficult to do,” she says.
What’s one thing University faculty and staff can do to support first-generation students?
“Take into consideration the perspective that some students have. When you are not a first-generation college student yourself, or you come from a city or a region that prioritizes getting into college, you can really take for granted a lot of knowledge.”
Kelsey Torgerson
For Kelsey Torgerson, physics lecturer in the Math, Science and Technology Department at Crookston, it wasn't until she started working at the University that she understood she is a first-generation college student. Looking back, she felt that she was an imposter in college. “I had to prove myself worthy of being there, while at the same time feeling sort of lost and out of place, that someone was going to find me out, that I didn't deserve this, even though obviously, I was doing all the hard work to do it,” says Torgerson. Yet her work ethic and motivation from family led her to get her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Today, she makes sure all her students feel encouraged and confident navigating college. Torgerson clearly defines acronyms and lingo in conversation and in her syllabi to help students understand the available resources. She also makes it known that she and many others at Crookston are first-generation students who can empathize and support them through their journey. “Despite feelings of doubt that might be creeping in, [first-generation students] do belong and have earned this spot here,” says Torgerson.
What’s one thing University faculty and staff can do to support first-generation students?
“Don't make assumptions that students know what you think they should know. Welcome questions and encourage those questions from students.”
Are you a first-generation college student? Share your story.