Focus turns to first generation students

By Kelsey Thomas Staff Writer thomask15@up.edu

Unlike 90 percent of UP students, freshman Noah Forrest and junior Fatima Ruiz Villatoro could not ask their parents what college was like before they arrived on The Bluff.

UP is reaching out to the ten percent of students who are the first in their family to attend college and historically less likely to return for their sophomore year. According to Institutional Research, in 2011, 82.3 percent of first-generation students returned to UP, compared to 89.6 percent of non first-generation students.

Ruiz Villatoro's parents were unable to attend college because a civil war erupted in El Salvador while they were in high school. They both dropped out of school to help support their families. When Ruiz Villatoro was eight, her parents moved Ruiz Villatoro, her two sisters and her brother to Seattle.

"They always tell us about their experiences and how they weren't able to go because of the situation back home," Ruiz Villatoro said. "They definitely encouraged us to [attend college] and ever since I was little I knew that's what I wanted."

Ruiz Villatoro is double majoring in engineering management and Spanish with a minor in entrepreneurship.

Forrest is one of the first in his extended family to attend college. His dad spent two years after high school living out of his van, surfing and soul searching. His mom moved out of her parents' house when she was 14, so she also never received the change to attend college.

Forrest said that although his parents did not graduate college, he feels as supported as friends whose parents did attend college. He said his parents always expected him to attend college and would do anything to help him get there.

"I felt really prepared [for college]," Forrest said. "I was involved in [Advanced Placement] classes in high school, so academically I felt really good coming in here."

When Forrest graduated as valedictorian from Sandy High School in Sandy, Ore., his whole family showed up to support him.

"I had to ask for ten extra tickets," Forrest said. "It was a big deal. It was probably one of the proudest moments of my life when I graduated high school because most of family didn't even do that."

Forrest is majoring in biology, and snowboards on Mt. Hood when he gets the chance. His younger brother, a junior in high school, also hopes to attend UP.

UP hopes that increasing programing for first-generation students will help them adjust to college life and graduate at the same rate as non-first-generation students.

Although UP does not have enough data to draw conclusions about first - generation retention Jeromy Koffler, director of Student Activities, said the numbers are concerning enough to warrant attention.

"First-generation students are not coming back at such a higher rate that it's dragging down the overall retention rate for the whole freshman class," Koffler said. "If we can retain first-generation students at a higher rate it would be good for them individually as students but also good for the university."

UP works to address needs of first-generation students

Last fall, a group of faculty and staff began meeting to discuss what they could do to help first-generation students.

Koffler said that although there is diversity among first-generation students, several patterns have emerged. One is that first-generation students might be less aware of how paying for college works and may have to navigate that alone.

Ruiz Villatoro said she struggled to figure out financial aid.

"I had to figure out what papers were what. Then whenever I have to get something verified, I have to tell my parents to sign this and that, then mail it back by a certain date," Ruiz Villatoro said. "I have to be on top of it. That's the hard part."

To help first-generation students navigate college, the Freshman Resource Center reaches out to these students specifically to help provide them with the support they need to adapt to college - level courses and thrive.

Brenda Greiner, director of the Freshman Resource Center, said they make a particular effort to help first-generation students knowing many need support outside their family.

"Because they're first-generation, there is not someone telling them 'this is what my experience was,' so we want to bring them in and make sure they make a connection here," Greiner said. "It is about the personal connections and making sure you have a place where you can come talk."

Michele Leasor, Administrative Assistant to Honors, said some first-generation students struggle socially.

"They might think they are the only ones who feel lonely or like they don't fit in," Leasor said. "That is not actually the case."

To help first-generation students connect, UP hosted an event last fall called "First-UP" for first-year, first-generation students. Several faculty members who had been first-generation students, as well as current upperclassmen, including Ruiz Villatoro, spoke on how they overcome challenges they faced as students.

"We wanted to say look, we are here to support you, to answer any questions you might have, and to connect you to resources you might need," Koffler said.

UP to apply for Americorps Vista Grant

According to Leasor, upper administration has approved funding to apply for an Americorps Vista Grant to receive a worker next year to focus on programing for first-generation students.

"We're applying for a grant specifically for a first-generation worker to build capacity," Leasor said.

Koffler said receiving the grant would help significantly since the current committee has no real resources or budget.

"Right now, it is just a few people who are interested in the topic," Koffler said. "We don't have anything but a general will, and what we'd like to do is put something in place that would actually change the way the university does business in a really positive way."

UP will find out if they have received the grant in late spring.