As a first-generation college student, who didn’t understand the label at first, I soon realized that often it meant that I had to navigate through unique hurdles that sometimes caused frustration and, in the worst of times, almost drove me to give up. But my dream of pursuing a career in policy work pushed me forward, and I spent my time searching for financial resources and professional development opportunities all through college, to make up for the institutional knowledge that I lacked about the policy career world. Attending a public higher education institution that was affordable, provided various pathways to achieve my goals and equipped me with tools to take action despite the challenges I faced.
Now that I have graduated, I am interested in learning more about the issues facing Millennials in the workforce, since being unemployed and economically insecure has always been my fear. I always have the underlying anxiety that, if I can not achieve some financial security then the investment and sacrifice my parents made to fund my education was worthless. Thus, I push myself to attain as many opportunities as I can in order to prove to them and myself that pursuing a college degree was worth the investment, and to get on track toward the career I’ve always dreamed of. This mentality was tested during my sophomore year, when my father lost his job. I was pushed to my limit to maintain a student government position while living in my car and my best friend’s dorm room for a semester. I believed at the time that this was just what I had to do in order to attain my goals, yet my story is one that speaks to the deeper racial inequities present in higher education. Research shows that for Hispanic families college costs make up 53 percent of their incomes, while white families it is 44 percent. Additionally, even after college, there is evidence of an employment gap among people of color. In 1993, black graduates with a bachelor’s degree were 90 percent likely to be employed four years after graduation, compared to white graduates with 89 percent. However, we’ve seen a disturbing trend, as black graduates are having more difficulty finding jobs than their white peers. Black graduates of 2008 were only 72 percent likely to be employed, while the rate for white graduates was 83 percent. These studies show that my fear of being financially insecure is affirmed and prevalent among my generation, particularly people of color.
In both my professional and educational experiences, I quickly learned that my personal background was common among underrepresented groups. First-generation college students often come from low-income family backgrounds and are more likely to be of a racial or ethnic minority. Thankfully, while at California State University, Fullerton, a Hispanic Serving Institution, I met professionals and students dedicated to helping me clear a path to achieve my passion of impacting public policy. I am now living and working in D.C. obtaining skills that will propel me forward to help others on a national level. My higher education journey introduced me to the obstacles facing people of color in our country, but through my new journey at YI, I know that we need to work on these issues as a country. I am optimistic about my generation and believe we can piece together the complexities that tear our world apart, we just need the resources and training to get there, so don’t stop paving your way.