Nick and Terry Saban; Mark Nelson, dean of the College of Communication and Information Sciences; and roughly 20 percent of the UA student population have one thing in common: They are all the first generation of their family to acquire a college degree.
This week marks the third-annual First Generation College Students week, featuring a series of events highlighting the struggles and strengths of being a first-generation college student.
“These students have unique challenges,” said Erika Mason-Imbody, the coordinator of the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars Program. “They don’t have a go-to parent to ask questions and they don’t have the networking and connections that a parent with college experience may have given them.”
Ashlyn Cook, a junior majoring in business and a Coca-Cola Scholar, is one of many UA students attempting to become the first member of his or her family to earn a college degree.
“It’s a pretty powerful thing to set the stage for your family’s future generations,” she said. “My parents have worked so hard and showed me that without a college education, success is possible but definitely not easy.”
The kick-off event is “Sharing Our Stories,” where five students will share their stories about what being a first-generation student is like.
“Hearing the experiences that some of my students have gone through – no one could know how much intense family pressure they may be under,” Mason-Imbody said. “They are here and they are totally on their own.”
The week’s events also include a fashion show, a presentation from the library and a walking tour of the campus.
“When we do our programming, one of the amazing things is the strength of character and resourcefulness that got these students to be the first to graduate from college and that same strength of character does not evaporate once they graduate,” said Kirk Walter, assistant director of the Office of Student Involvement. “That same tenacity that got them here will continue to propel them for the rest of their lives.”
Cook said the biggest negative of being a first-generation scholar has been not having anyone on a personal level to ask for help.
“Luckily for me, that is where my wonderful advisers Mrs. Imbody and Mrs. Teague have been such a huge impact on my life,” she said. “Mrs. Dianne Teague is forever encouraging and refuses to allow her students to accept any less than success.”
Walking through campus each day, students may not realizes the obstacles that their peers face in trying to pursue a college education.
“For non-first-generation students, it’s about awareness and having the idea that we may make assumptions about what the student body of Alabama is like,” Mason-Imbody said. “Events like this are important for all students to understand the different backgrounds and experiences that students have.”
Erica Mason-Imbody
Kirk Walter
Ashlyn Cook
