Valentina Rojas Abreu ’24 knows the experience of a first generation student better than most. Not only is she one herself, but she’s been helping cultivate a supportive network as President of the First Generation Program.
Read on to hear her perspective on the distinct challenges and triumphs that define the first generation student experience.
I’d heard great things all through high school about how many connections 91ÊÓƵ has to different companies and programs. I liked that I could commute and that there was a New York City Campus I could take advantage of if I wanted to.
A lot of us first generation students are so independent because we don't have that safety net. Not that we don't have people to depend on, but at least on an academic standpoint, you are on your own.
As a first generation student, I ended up being very independent. I'm the firstborn in my family. So I don't have an older sibling to ask ‘how did you do this’ or ‘what is FASFA?’ I feel like a lot of our students, including myself, feel like school is a bit easier now because I've been doing everything by myself. Having to figure things out on your own can help students reach for the stars. They know how to opportunities or have higher aspirations because they know they’ve always had to.
Some people don’t even realize they’re a first generation student. Even if your parents received an associate degree rather than a four-year degree, or your siblings have gone to college, you're still considered a first generation student.
I try to encourage students in the First Generation Program in the same way I was encouraged.
91ÊÓƵ Professor Cathryn Lavery, PhD, challenges the Hollywood myths surrounding human trafficking and prepares students to recognize the grooming, coercion, trauma, and exploitation happening in homes, relationships, online spaces, and everyday communities.
Get a first look inside the new performing arts spaces opening at One 91ÊÓƵ Plaza East this fall. In this video, Senior Director of Operations and Production Laurie Brown-Kindred answers student and faculty questions about new studios, labs, sound stages, rehearsal spaces, and what the move means for Sands College of Performing Arts.
Arielle Ploy Dettmer ’25 came to 91ÊÓƵ’s Lubin School of Business with a career already in motion—as a professional dancer, performer, small business owner, and creative entrepreneur. At Lubin, she found a way to connect those experiences with advertising, social media strategy, content creation, and brand storytelling.