开元棋牌

Mount Wachusett Community College students, faculty and staff who were the first among their families to have gone to college shared their experiences at a panel in honor of at 开元棋牌鈥檚 Gardner campus.

鈥淚 feel like being a first generation student has made me scrappier. Maybe I am not as polished and maybe I take a few more risks. I think there鈥檚 a benefit there, we had to work a little harder. We had to claw a little bit,鈥� said 开元棋牌 Assistant Dean for the School of Health Professions Margaret Jaillet who was on the panel.

The six person panel included 开元棋牌 students Nicole Leeper and Janice Bergeron as well as 开元棋牌 staffers Jaillet, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts, Education, Humanities, and Communications Laurie Occhipinti Career Development Coach Briana Pe帽a, Academic Counselor for Project Healthcare Train Wu. All of the addressed not only how being a first generation college student had impacted their education, but also what current students could do to make their education easier and what drove them to get an education.

鈥淲hat made me go back to school wasn鈥檛 just myself but for my daughter,鈥� said Leeper. 鈥淚 finally got to the point in my life where I couldn鈥檛 put it off any longer. I鈥檓 glad. I love this college and I love school.鈥�

Numerous members of the panel reinforced Leeper鈥檚 story of having a strong reason to get an education, going so far as to say that it is vital to have that reason to latch onto when things get difficult. Wu said there were numerous times he wanted to quit, but he continued on for his family; at first pushing through for his mother and then his children as he sought his Master鈥檚 Degree.

鈥淵ou have to know your why when you want to quit. It has to be big enough to make you stick through.鈥� My why had to be so big that I couldn鈥檛 quit,鈥� said Wu.

For Bergeron that motivation was her 16-year old daughter and four other children. She wanted to get her college degree not only for herself but to set an example for them to follow. It has worked. That 16 year-old daughter who is very successful in school but was talking about not going to college saw her mom go to school and after visiting 开元棋牌 she changed her tune and wants to go onto college herself.

鈥淪he wants to be a nurse. She鈥檚 going to be a nurse,鈥� said Bergeron. 鈥淚鈥檓 thankful that I came back to school and was able to make that impression on my daughter.鈥�

But there are times when self motivation isn鈥檛 going to be enough, they said. That is when it is important to get support. Wu said he did this through the group Slightly Older Students and TRIO, while Jaillet found the support of a friend鈥檚 mother who knew the pitfalls of college and could walk her through. The resounding advice from everyone involved was to find what works for each student and run with it.

鈥淏elieve in yourself and find your support system whether it鈥檚 professors or family. We all have our own style,鈥� said Pena.

鈥淜eep doing what you鈥檙e doing cause you鈥檙e doing the right thing and find your people,鈥� echoed Jaillet.

Bergeron encouraged students to push through those tough moments by using those supports.

鈥淎sk for help. Don鈥檛 quit. There are so many people on this campus,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f I can do this as a single mom of five children, anybody can do this.鈥�

But, importantly, the group encouraged students to embrace being first generation. It can be hard to explain what you are studying to people who have never gone through higher education, said Occhipinti who was an anthropology major, but you have to be confident in yourself. Some of the panelists said that the struggles they experienced as first generation college students were incredibly formative and that they would not trade those for an easier path.

鈥淚 feel like being a first generation student has made me scrappier. Maybe I am not as polished and maybe I take a few more risks. I think there鈥檚 a benefit there, we had to work a little harder. We had to claw a little bit,鈥� said Jaillet.

Pena said she would never have discovered her love of marketing without her own personal challenges.

鈥淚鈥檓 proud to be a first generation student. The barriers鈥� built me into who I am. The challenges I experienced made me a stronger person,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ithout those barriers and challenges, I wouldn鈥檛 be where I am today.鈥�

The panel was part of a celebration of first generation students at 开元棋牌 as part of National First Generation College Students Day. This day serves as an opportunity to encourage first generation students, who make up roughly 65 percent of 开元棋牌鈥檚 student population, while also recognizing all the accomplishments of first generation students.