Proof Point Day has me thinking about a few of the defining moments in my educational career, focusing particularly on the moments that my first generation status hit me the hardest.
I sat in my Principles of Macroeconomics class during my first year of college, staring at the statement scribbled on the chalkboard: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” – Peter Drucker. In today’s highly connected world, this statement holds true. Individuals of every age have chosen to embrace what was once considered nothing more than a common-sense business adage and used it as a mantra to manage (and improve) their own daily lives. Self-quantifying has become a part of our daily routines. Through the lens of a 1st generation college student, I reflected on the numbers that defined me: 10: I graduated 10th in my high school class of 134 students, earning my place Seton Hall University.38: Hours I worked each week during high school and college, via an ensemble of internships and part-time jobs.4: Times that I contemplated leaving college because of insurmountable doubt, stress, and fear.3.5: Years it took me to finish a traditional 4 year degree, when data shows that most minority students require 6.3.75: My college GPA, earning me the honor of Magna Cum Laude.1: I am a part of the first generation of my family to complete college.It was early on in my life that I fully understood the disadvantages that came with being a first-generation student: the cultural and linguistic barriers, my parents limited involvement in my social or academic development, and the dreaded but inevitable college application process. I was fortunate enough to reside in an area with many members of my Portuguese community, but few shared in my aspirations. I didn’t allow this to discourage me, though; on the contrary, it inspired me to push forward and make things happen for myself. Attempting to find some sort of normalcy in a new home, my parents found refuge in the immigrant communities of New Jersey, falling prey to the “herd mentality” that so often plagued these demographics: the idea that “what worked for a certain family must certainly work for all families.” While it wasn’t always the prettiest of transitions, my assimilation had always left a desire to contribute and reinvigorate the areas that I first called home- and there is no better conduit to improvement than through education. I chose to dedicate my career to education to ensure that all children, regardless of income-level or zip code, have a chance to succeed. It is why I now work to promote the continued growth and impact of the most innovative sector in education: charter schools. Much like my cultural identity, the status of “first generation college graduate” has become a part of my persona- helping to shape and mold me into who I am today. That is why I’m taking the #ProofPointDay Pledge- committing to making my first generation (FG) status known to the world and to inspire or impact the lives of future FG-ers. I may have been part of the first generation of my family to graduate college, but I won’t be the last.
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