First Generation Day

A couple leaving the Santa Monica College (SMC) Center for Media and Design (CMD) after a long day of classes at Santa Monica, Calif. on Nov.19, 2019. (Earl Agustines/ The Corsair)

Many students who attend Santa Monica College (SMC) are first generation students. Being the first person in your immediate family to attend college can be an exciting yet overwhelming feeling for a student. The meaning of being a first-generation student is different for everyone. These students know and understand the struggles that their families have endured, and they strive to make their loved ones proud. On Nov. 5, SMC students had the opportunity to express their thoughts on being a first generation student through the school's First Generation Day.

For the event, students posted colorful sticky notes filled with written reminders surrounding their experience and thoughts on being a first-generation student. Each sticky note was put on a large yellow paper was then put on display in the Associated Students (A.S.) office. 

According to first-generation student Luis Florensio, “It’s been held for about two years and we just invite people to come over and express why it’s important to be a first-generation student.” Florensio said that by attending college, he is paving the way for other people like him to achieve their goals. He also feels that he has a responsibility to his family by getting an education. According to Florensio, “being a first-generation student means that I have a responsibility, not only to fulfill an education I guess or kind of payback in gratitude to my parents, to my family for all their scarifies that they’ve done”.

Other students like Vanessa Hernandez also expressed their experiences with being a first-generation student. Hernandez felt that it is important that SMC have days like this for students because it’s helpful. According to Hernandez, “It’s important for all of us just to know what we can do, and how we can help others achieve their goals.” When discussing what being a first-generation student means to her she said, "It means dedication and just following your dreams or the good pathway that you want to follow and help others as well.” 

Keily Molina decided to attend the First Generation day both to let “other first generations know they’re not alone, and they have opportunities out there and they should take advantage, because our parents came here and sacrifices to come here to the U.S. to give us a better life and a better opportunity for us.” For Molina, being a first-generation student means being a role model for her younger brother. 

As for Jose Mendoza, he feels that being a first-generation student means helping his mother. “Being a first-generation student means that I get to help my mom who came here to help me get a better future, it means that I could make something that she wanted me to do.”