By Jean White, Senior Vice President for Human Resources and Community Culture
During my senior year of high school, I was laser-focused on one goal: going to college. Growing up with limited financial resources, I knew a college degree could open doors to a better future. So, when I got accepted to UConn with a generous scholarship, I was over the moon! I was also incredibly relieved, because my parents had gently explained that they couldn’t afford to send me to college and encouraged me to consider working full-time instead.
I thought, “I made it to college! Now the hard part’s over!”
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
As a first-generation college student, I quickly realized how much I didn’t know. For starters, I had no idea textbooks weren’t included in tuition. Watching my summer savings vanish at the campus bookstore was a wake-up call — I needed a job, fast. Balancing work and school was tough, especially when many of my classmates could focus solely on academics thanks to financial support from home.
I also didn’t know that there were resources available to help students like me. When my workload started to overwhelm me, I felt lost. During a phone call home, I shared my struggles, and someone suggested I withdraw and try again later. That idea terrified me. I didn’t want to drop out, but I couldn’t see another way forward.
Then, something amazing happened.
The student affairs office hosted an event for scholarship recipients, and a staff member asked how I was doing. To my surprise, I teared up and admitted I was thinking of dropping out because it was “just too hard.” That moment changed everything. The staff member pulled me aside, listened to my story, and offered real help.
Thanks to that conversation, I began discovering the support systems around me. I learned how to talk to professors, find tutors, and attend workshops on time management. Most importantly, I realized I wasn’t alone. I was part of a community that was filled with students facing similar challenges and faculty who genuinely cared.
My family was loving and supportive, but they couldn’t guide me through the college experience; they hadn’t lived it either. Everything was new, and it was easy to feel intimidated by tuition bills, heavy course loads, and financial aid forms. Without the support that I received at school, I wouldn’t have made it through that first year.
So, if you’re a first-generation student and ever feel like college is “just too hard” or that you don’t belong, please hear this: You absolutely do belong. You’ll make mistakes (we all do!), but you’ll learn, grow, and maybe even become a mentor for someone else walking the same path.