For First-Generation Students, Support Can Change Everything

As a first-generation college student, I was entering a world far beyond what my parents had ever experienced, as they didn’t have much of a formal education. My older brothers had started attending a community college, but joined the military and weren’t around to guide me when I started at the University of Northern Colorado. 

After years of study, I earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary and bilingual education and a master’s degree in special education. My teaching career took me into classrooms from preschool through high school in Colorado, as well as three years at Shandong International High School in Jinan, China.

This academic journey opened doors for me. Many of them, I couldn’t have imagined when I first began. But being the first also meant learning how to navigate college without the benefit of family experience to guide me.

Supporting first-generation students is vital because it directly influences their success and future opportunities, which is why I’m immensely proud of the work happening at Aims Community College, where I serve on the Board of Trustees. 

Nearly half of Aims students are first-generation students, meaning their parents or guardians did not complete a four-year college degree. These students bring ambition, resilience and enormous potential to our campuses. They may arrive with questions that students from college-going families have been able to ask around the dinner table.

How do I choose the right classes? Where do I go when I am struggling academically? How does financial aid work? What does it take to transfer to a university? Who can help me understand all the unwritten rules of college?

Today at Aims, students don’t have to figure those things out on their own.

One of the key resources is TRIO Student Support Services, a federally funded program serving first-generation and low-income students, as well as students with disabilities. TRIO connects students with individualized support designed to help them stay in college and prepare for what comes next. Services include success coaching, academic advising, tutoring, workshops, transfer assistance, financial wellness resources and opportunities that help students build confidence and connections.

That support is part of a larger commitment.

In 2024, Aims was selected to join the FirstGen Forward Network, a national initiative focused on improving the college experience and outcomes of first-generation students. Aims was one of the few community colleges selected for the network. To support these efforts, Aims created an internal FirstGen Forward task force to examine needs and identify additional ways to better serve this population. 

What I appreciate most about this focus is its recognition that access to quality and affordable higher education is only the beginning.

Students need people who can help them understand how college works, connect them with resources and remind them that asking for help is part of succeeding. That support can come from an advisor, instructor, tutor, success coach or fellow student. Sometimes, one person taking the time to answer a question or offer encouragement can change someone's trajectory.

November 8 is First-Generation College Celebration Day, commemorating the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Throughout November, colleges and universities celebrate the legislation that expanded access to higher education and helped establish student support programs like TRIO. 

When a first-generation student earns a college credential, the impact extends far beyond one person. Education can create new possibilities for families, strengthen our workforce and inspire the next generation to see college as something they can pursue, too. I know that from my own experience.

Being the first can feel uncertain. At Aims, first-generation students should know from the moment they arrive that they belong here. They may be the first in their family to pursue college, but they are part of a community invested in their success.

My journey has come full circle. I once stood where our first-generation students are today, stepping into college without a family roadmap to guide me. Now, as a member of the Aims Board of Trustees, I’m proud to support opportunities and resources that can make that path a little easier for students who come next.