First Graduate

Name: Charlene 
Hometown: San Francisco
College you'll be attending this fall: U.C. Merced

Excerpt taken from article in GOOD, "Beating the Odds: First-Generation College Students Prepare for Freshman Year." Read the full article online at http://bit.ly/p6CPXC.

Q: What made you want to go to college?
A: There are two reasons why I want to go to college. One, I wanted to achieve something that none of my siblings ever achieved. Two, I want to attend college for my parents because they never got a chance to go to college.

Q: Who most influenced your decision to go to college?
A: The one who influenced me the most was my mom because she knew that I wanted to go the east coast for college. However, she knew that she couldn’t afford it.

Q: What do schools need to do to put more students on the college track?
A: Schools need to stress more about how going to college and getting a degree can help them in the future.

Q: What are most excited about?
A: I’m excited about getting out of the house and learning to be a more responsible person. 

Q: What are you most worried about?
A: I am worried that I wouldn’t do well in my classes because of everything else that is going on around me.

Q: What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about first generation college students?
A: They think that going to college is not it for them because of their family background.

Q: Is your college doing anything to ensure that you're successful once you get on campus?
A: Yes because they have new resources on campus that helps students.

Q: Do you have a support network already in place to help you not just get to college but do well and graduate?
A: Yes, First Graduate and my family.