Sunday, January 30, 2011

They See it, We Live it.

I feel as if I haven't updated in the longest time, but it turns out that it's only been around 2 weeks or so. Time flies? I've been super busy with school, work, and everything else. It's exhausting but I'd rather have something to do than nothing at all. I thrive in chaos.

Did anyone else catch the State of the Union Address? I did! One major thing that stood out to me was his acknowledgment of first generation college students. Now, maybe I'm being overly sensitive but was it me or was the applause after that statement a bit...sparse?

I'm going to try to word this without it reading as a cliche scholarship essay but the topic of first generation college students(even high school graduates) is something that I have strong opinions about. Mainly because I am a first-generation college student.

Yes it's tougher for us to gain admission to institutions of high learning due to lack of resources and familial support. Yes it's more difficult for us to remain in those institutions of higher learning because we more than likely have other obligations than our counterparts.

Now, I'm not victimizing 1st-gens because there are many of us who are doing extremely well in school and paving the way for others to succeed as well. However, I am spreading awareness to show that we have more disadvantages to overcome. Whether it be lack of information provided due to not being "in the know", lack of funds, family obligations, working insane hours just to get by(ahem, "building character") while everyone else travels abroad and can afford to do free internships, and unfortunately alienation from peers and family members for even being in college. Even while in college, some still have to work against those challenges, so my point is...doesn't that deserve a standing ovation? They gave many that night, so I'm sure this topic is worthy of one.

From a 1st-gen to my fellow 1st-gens, keep excelling. Never take your chance at a better life for granted and despite the lack of recognition that we may receive at times...never think that you aren't as capable as the next student because of your circumstances. Take pride in the fact that you've accomplished your goals due to merit, hard work, and dedication. I won't lie, it probably will get tougher as we progress further into our education, but at the end I'm sure that it'll all be worth it.

...It'd better be.


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