By Vanessa Pergolizzi, Student Engagement Manager
I am a first-generation college student. My parents were born and raised in Sicily and didn’t make it past elementary and middle school. During their time, it was customary for the oldest to help the parents take care of their family and younger siblings. That is what my mother particularly spent her time doing. School was not a priority. This trickled over to homework and school, which were not so enforced in my home when my parents moved to the U.S. It just wasn’t something that was ingrained in their DNA.
I didn’t grow up in an “American” home, even though we were in the U.S. We only spoke Italian at home, and I was in an ESL class in kindergarten. Later in life, I spent a lot of time having to translate documents, attend appointments with my parents, help them pay bills, and, as stereotypical as it may sound, cleaning and cooking were at the forefront. My American friends did not understand this way of life.
Since my parents didn’t speak much English, they were never able to help me with homework or help me complete any paperwork that might have been needed for school, such as the FAFSA. I had to find my own motivation and my own way. I leaned on my older sister more than my parents when I had questions about something.
Being immigrants who had a language barrier, my parents did not have distinguished jobs per se and were not able to fully support me with anything “extra” financially. I always held multiple jobs while balancing college classes, internships, and work study. I paid my own way through college — books, my first car, and everything else. While I know this is the case for many others, it isn’t the case for everyone. When friends or acquaintances would tell me that their parents paid for their entire college tuition, I felt a bit resentful.
Despite it all, I was very serious about school and my grades. I always maintained A grades and won many awards, scholarships, and honors. I graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a 3.9 GPA in Communication.
While it wasn’t a breeze, I wouldn’t change my experience because I believe that this is what has allowed me to relate to all different types of people, including our students here at Goodwin University. I am a proud daughter of immigrants and very proud of my culture!
See how Goodwin University supports first-generation students every step of the way.
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.