First Gen Stories

First Gen Stories Jason Garcia My father was born in Puerto Rico and migrated to the U.S when he was a young child. My Mother was born in New York – and both were raised during the 70’s. Both of my parents completed High School but never graduated college. I […]

First Gen Stories Ilea Franklin I came from a lower SES; I’m talking water and electric getting shut off, food not available reliably. A huge challenged I faced was learning low SES meant something different at Columbia University. Additionally, learning to navigate the tools at the University as I should […]

First Gen Stories Briana Gil My college experience had been both rewarding and challenging. Since I could remember, being a mental health professional has been my dream. However, I always felt like I had to try harder than my friends and classmates. I’m a second and third generation Mexican immigrant. […]

First Gen Stories Joel Sedano I applied to Columbia thrice. Once after undergrad, I was on the waitlist but never made it off the list. Again, in 2020, where I was rejected. And finally last year, when I received my acceptance. Columbia was my dream school for many reasons, including […]

First Gen Stories Dr. Monique Holsey-Hyman Dedicated to her work, service for humanity, and undying love for family, Dr. Monique E. Holsey-Hyman of South Bronx, New York City, was a first generation student who has always been a committed woman who aims to adhere to an education set to aid […]

First Gen Stories Bianca Hoffer My parents are both immigrants from Hungary and Ecuador. I never in my life would’ve imagined I’d be attending an Ivy League let alone have the courage to apply. Growing up, my family always struggled with finances and not having the same opportunities as everyone […]

First Gen Stories Rosa Zermeno When I think of my path to Columbia University, I think of the community that stands behind me. I think of my immigrant parents and the sacrifices they collected while working as farm workers, including lack of time spent as a family. I think of […]

First Gen Stories Natalie Nowak No one in my family had ever been able to afford college despite their aspirations of attending. I, too, began to wonder as I entered high school if I would be able to pursue higher education. Watching older students graduate, I feared that I would […]

First Gen Stories Lorem Ipsum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Short stories and photographs have been collected of those who are First Gen students, graduates, staff, and alumni that are now part of the Columbia network. This […]