Courtesy of Elaine-Jane Viloria, pictured center.

First-generation college students often face challenges with college readiness, familial support, financial stability and, once enrolled, adjusting to college life, according to a study published by Innovation Showcase. At Niche, we’re chatting with first-gen students about how they became the first in their families to attend college. Their stories are at once awe-inspiring and eye-opening, familiar-feeling yet very much their own. Let’s listen. 

Elaine-Jane Viloria‘s first acceptance letter came from a safety school.

She—and her parents—couldn’t have been more thrilled.

Until the next acceptance rolled in.

Elaine-Jane kept getting accepted to her safety schools all the way up to her final and finest acceptance to the University of California – Berkeley—her dream school.

Despite financial uncertainties and what she describes as a not-so-impressive high school resume, Elaine-Jane  is now pursuing a Chemistry degree at UC-Berkeley.

“I am not the perfect student; I don’t have the best scores or a list of national awards. However, my passions for my family and my chosen major, chemistry, have been enough to get me to where I am today,” she explained.

In her first semester, online learning, overwhelming workloads and a feeling of not being quite understood by her family has her feeling a little alone and discouraged.

Despite those challenges, Elaine-Jane is embracing her passion in the hopes of one day using her degree to improve lives in low-income communities.

Q: How have your friends and family reacted to your pursuit of a college education?

A: My parents have always encouraged me to pursue a college education, emphasizing their desire for me to have a better life than they did.

It was an expectation they have always had for me, but they were still ecstatic over the many college acceptances I received.

I know that my family could not be prouder.

Q: What kind of support have you had from friends and family as well as your teachers, community and government organizations?

A: My high school, William C. Overfelt, offered me endless amount of opportunities to further my pursuit of a college education.

As a low-income school in a struggling area, every teacher and Overfelt community member made sure that all the students had the tools needed to succeed. I was given free SAT prep, essay consultations, college visits and more.

I am forever indebted to them for all of their work and commitment to my college application process.

“With a college degree… I’ll have more doors of opportunities open to me and be able to enjoy the luxury of choice that my parents couldn’t.”

Q: Your parents seem very supportive of your choice to go to college and to create a better life than they had. With a college education, how do you see your life being different from theirs?

A: Throughout my life, my parents emphasized the importance of a stable job with good pay but not necessarily the importance of passion.

After my parents immigrated to the United States from the Philippines, they prioritized raising a family and caring for their families back home. (They had the obligation of sending goods to their families in the Philippines.) They worried more about providing for their families rather than doing something that they truly enjoyed.

They just needed to find a job, not develop a career.

With a college degree, I’ll have the freedom to pursue a subject that really interests me and to guarantee the stability that my parents yearn for. I’ll have more doors of opportunities open to me and be able to enjoy the luxury of choice that my parents couldn’t.

Q: You mentioned multiple acceptances. When you began getting those letters, how did you feel?

A: As I started receiving more acceptances, I felt extremely excited because all my hard work had paid off.

I actually received my acceptances in the order of safety schools to dream schools, so my happiness and excitement grew each time.

On the other hand, I felt scared because I’ve always been an indecisive person, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to choose from a number of amazing schools! I also worried about the cost because I knew that my parents couldn’t afford it and I contemplated over loans and whether or not the price tag of my dream school was worth it.

Despite all of this, my family continued to support me and encouraged me to do what I thought was best for my future.

Q: You said that the first-gen experience has left you feeling alone and discouraged. What are some obstacles you’ve faced so far?

A: Because of my school’s large size and the difficulties of an online environment, it’s been really hard to reach out to support services.

I was put under a lot of stress during my first semester, and it really damaged my mental health. I often feel like no one could truly understand what I’m going through, especially because I am a first-generation college student.

My parents know school is hard for me, but they don’t know exactly how demanding the classes are. The amount of work is not what I’ve ever experienced in high school, and I’m left to figure out my struggles on my own.

This semester, I’m planning to become more familiar with my school’s resources, such as tutoring and counseling.

I know that there are many first-year, first-generation students who feel/have felt the same way but are able to overcome it. It has been extremely overwhelming, but I’m hopeful that this semester will be easier now that I have some experience with college academics and lifestyle.

Courtesy of Elaine-Jane Viloria

Q: You’re incredibly self-aware in stating that you know you’re not the perfect student but that your passion drives your success. What would you say to college hopefuls that also feel as though they don’t have the most impressive resume?

Overall, passion leads to action and change, and I learned that colleges are really looking for that. Colleges want people who will make a difference in their communities for the better.

A: The biggest advice I have for students who feel that they don’t have the most impressive resume is to use their passion to drive them forward.

It doesn’t matter if you have perfect test scores and the perfect grades, because passion overrides that.

For example, I got a SAT score of <1300, a minimum passing score in AP Chemistry, didn’t win any national awards or even participate in any contests. But I wrote about how I loved chemistry and wanted to use it to make a sustainable life more accessible to low-income communities, and I got into one of the best chemistry programs in the country.

Overall, passion leads to action and change, and I learned that colleges are really looking for that.

Colleges want people who will make a difference in their communities for the better.

Want more student insight? Catch up with Elaine-Jane (@elaineviloria, @vlaineeiloria) and follow @nichesocial for more student stories, advice and giveaways.

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