Twitter offers a corner of the internet for everyone and I found my little corner by happenstance. I was a first-year graduate student aimlessly reading tweets to distract me from the overwhelming dread bubbling up inside. As a first-generation student, I was the first person in my family to go to college in the United States and continue to a graduate program. I mistakenly thought that my experience as an undergraduate prepared me for graduate study. It did not. I soon found that graduate school was an isolating process. Whether it was battling imposter syndrome or navigating challenging classroom dynamics, I always felt like I did not belong in my program. Twitter offered a reprieve from my isolation by way of the #FirstGenDocs account. The #FirstGenDocs was created by three first-generation graduate students to "affirm the experiences and amplify the voices" of first-generation graduate students. Reading through their posts and following their stories helped me feel like I was part of a broader community of first-generation scholars. It gave me a sense of belonging that I could not access in my graduate program. As I connected with other students across the country, I felt the weight of my isolation slowly lifting, and I began to push back at the feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. As an academic advisor, I use my experiences as a first-generation student to connect with the graduate students I advise. Our conversations often start with the student sharing that they feel out of place and unprepared for their program. I help them access resources on and off campus to help them build the community they need to be successful but that is not enough. Universities need to make a more substantial commitment to first-generation graduate students and create paths towards success that recognize their unique challenges.
First-generation students continue to be first-generation as they navigate their academic and career paths. The Center for First-Generation Student Success defines first-generation as a term that "implies the possibility that a student may lack the critical cultural capital necessary for college success because their parents did not attend college." This lack of cultural capital can include not understanding the college admissions process to difficulty navigating college faculty relationships and accessing college resources. For many first-generation undergraduate students, graduating college is an immensely rewarding experience that signifies being the first in the family to pass an education threshold. However, for students that choose to continue their education, this threshold moves with them. We never shed the first-generation status. While the initial learning curve may not be as steep for first-generation graduate students, the lack of cultural capital remains. As the first in our families to pursue master's and doctoral degrees, first-generation graduate students enter graduate programs with the same lack of generational academic role models and guidance. Feelings of isolation and uncertainty paired with intersecting marginalized identities make first-generation students' graduate experience incredibly challenging. First-generation students are more likely to identify as low-income and belonging to one or more underrepresented communities. While there is an increasing effort to understand first-generation undergraduate students' needs, there is still little known about the graduate experience as a first-generation student. Dr. Amy C. King addresses these issues in her 2017 dissertation, Where Do We Fit?, on first-generation PsyD students. Dr. King's findings suggest that first-generation graduate students would benefit from university resources that address their lack of external guidance and sources of support. As we see an increase in anxiety and depression amongst graduate students, it is crucial to recognize that first-generation graduate students must contend with the general challenges of graduate work and navigate academia without the generational cultural capital.
Resilience, independence, and persistence are some of the characteristics that define first-generation students. As graduate students, we engage in deep critical work while inhabiting institutions that do not have the proper infrastructure to support us. Support for first-generation graduate students needs to be intentional and holistic. In addition to funding, universities need to examine what barriers prevent first-generation students from engaging in the admissions process and finding community on campus. Universities should interrogate the assumptions made about what a graduate student should and should not know when they enter their program. Also, student affairs leaders need to invest in programming that targets first-generation graduate students instead of treating all first-generation students as monoliths. The University of Washington's Core Programs is an example of how universities can engage first-generation graduate students. Through programming, online profiles, and peer mentoring, the UW's Office of Graduate Students creates a visible community that mitigates the stigma of being first generation and contributes to a sense of belonging amongst their students.
First-generation students, whether undergraduate or graduate, are actively creating the cultural capital that will benefit the generations that come after us. We are laying foundations and opening doors that were once inaccessible. The experiences, stories, and perspectives of first-generation students contribute to an enriching learning environment for all students. Often, first-generation graduate students engage in research in academic disciplines and communities that were ignored before their arrival. Therefore, contributing to and creating knowledge for the benefit of all. As more first-generation students continue to master's and doctoral programs, universities need to commit to creating supportive programming that helps students see themselves as an integral part of the campus community.