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St. Olaf College is proudly home to many students, staff, and faculty who were the first in their families to attend or complete college.

In honor of National First-Generation College Celebration, recognized annually on November 8, we spoke to several campus leaders about their first-generation experience.

Director of Government, Foundation and Corporate Relations Valeng D. Cha ’95

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
I came from a family with low resources but high hopes. Early on, my parents have always emphasized “rau siab kawm ntawv” (study hard in school) and the message was not lost. For immigrant families like mine, it’s not about wanting a college degree (many do), it’s about access and paying for it. How could I ever expect my refugee parents, who risked their lives to bring our family to this country, to understand the first thing about college, let alone have the financial means to contribute?

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
College was everything and nothing like I expected. I loved the newness of everything but also feared straying too far from my comfort zone, my family, and my culture. That first year adjustment was especially difficult — how college works, making friends, good study habits. The wonderful thing about college is, it also changes you. The more you learn and grow as an individual, the more capable you see yourself, and the cycle repeats!

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
I work in Government, Foundation, and Corporate Relations. Our office pursues external grant opportunities that support student services, scholarships, teaching and learning, scholarly research, and professional development enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion. There are many institutional grants that St. Olaf has successfully pursued that have benefited First Gen students.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
I am an alumnus and happy to give back! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me by email or phone.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
No matter how difficult it gets, keep persisting with grit. Being the first in your family to do anything is hard. The journey is lonelier now but I promise you the end result will be worth it. Never give up and always seek advice!

Assistant Director of the TRIO McNair Scholars Program Melissa Melgar

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
I was fortunate to be a participant in the MSU Mankato TRIO Educational Talent Search program since 6th grade and they started talking to me about college goals at a young age. There are obstacles in navigating the college systems when being a first-gen student but first-gen students are also extremely hard working, caring, and resilient people.

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
As Associate Director of the TRIO McNair Scholars program, I assist first-generation and underrepresented students at St. Olaf in accessing high-impact practices and pursuing their graduate school goals.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
We are happy to chat with Oles about their graduate school goals! Students can schedule an appointment using our google calendar.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! First-gen students often feel like they need to figure everything out on their own. But NO ONE reaches success without the help of others. Faculty, staff, alumni and students are here to help support you! Also remember in the spectrum of life, your test scores and grades do not define you. It’s more important what you LEARN and having a college degree will also help you to make a greater impact in your communities.

Contact Tracing Lead and Director of Events Management Aida Mejia-Fergen

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
Since I was little. It was a given and it’s something I really looked forward to.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
For me, it was harder to bring up with my family because culturally, children don’t leave the house until they get married. So for my parents it was hard to imagine that I would leave right after high school and they were more sad than happy when I received my acceptance letter.

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
I am an interpreter for the Advocates for Human Rights in MN and am helping immigrant families stay in the US so that their children can one day be first-generation college students.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
By email: Mejia2@stolaf.edu

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
Work as hard as you can, stay focused on your goals and remind yourself that college is not only an investment in yourself, it is also an investment in your family.

Associate Director for Parent Engagement Stacey Longwich-Kleis

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
I was raised by a single mom and she started talking to be about college very early.  I knew it was her dream for me to get my degree, and that was great to have her support but also put a lot of pressure on me to do well for my family.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
Utilize the many resources St. Olaf College has — I went to a large state school, and was lost in the masses and had to figure things out on my own.  Seek out the helpers, early and often.  StO is full of them!  CAAS, Piper Center, Wellness Center, etc.

Admissions Campus Visit and Data Assistant Tara Pape

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
I knew I wanted to go to college since early elementary school. Academic success was constantly on my mind, and I loved any chance to learn and prove myself to the world.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
Being First Gen is both a curse and a blessing. You are often walking unfamiliar paths with little to no support. It’s intimidating and scary. But you also feel more empowered to do college your way, even if you make a few mistakes along the way. You don’t take shortcuts. You work harder than anyone else. You make things happen in a way that is authentically you.

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
I serve as a supervisor with an open door policy and a sounding board for student ideas.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
Come as you are.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
Making lasting and meaningful connections is more important than being at the top of your class. Go to the career center. Get all the real-world experience you possibly can. Find at least one faculty/staff you can go to for advice. Never be afraid to ask for help. Advocate for your own mental health. Talk to a counselor. It’s okay to keep your options open. Get involved. Never go into a field for the money. Never study on a Friday night.

Professor of History and Boldt Family Distinguished Teaching Chair in the Humanities Judy Kutulas

My parents were the children of Greek immigrants, my mother was as middle-class as immigrants could be during the Depression, but my father grew up poor. My mother started college, dropping out to marry my father; my father never went at all. I grew up middle class, assuming I’d go to college. My parents were supportive and had the financial wherewithal to send me to college; however it took more-knowledgeable peers, teachers, and the best high school counselor ever (thank you, Mr. Zorovich!) to make sure I was prepared and met deadlines. When I got to college, the culture was initially intimidating and it seemed that my peers knew a lot more about how things worked than I did. As the eldest of four girls, I was the model for my sisters and my mother turned to me for support when she returned to finish her degree. As a graduate student I worked with “at risk” students, many of whom needed someone to help them find paths through college bureaucracies. I was about as privileged a first-generation college student as you can imagine, yet, I had a lot of moments of doubt and hesitation. For most first-generation college students, the challenges are bigger and the moments of doubt deeper than the ones I faced. I want to be both helpful about specifics and empathetic about what they might be feeling. To that end, I try to listen, encourage, and demystify.

International & Off-Campus Studies Advising Coordinator Brittan Duffing

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
I have always enjoyed school and learning in general and think that the possibility of NOT going to college or some other continued education was never really even a thought for me. My parents had instilled in me an understanding of the value of education and often talked about me going to college, even though they knew next to nothing about it other than that it was “what I should do”. That said, I knew that I wanted to go to college as early as 6th grade. My music teacher brought my choir to visit St. Olaf’s music department (her son was a student at St. Olaf at the time), which was my first real exposure to what going to college would actually be like and mean. We received instruction from Professors in the Music Department, as well as students, toured campus, and visited her son’s dorm room. From then on, I felt really excited about the idea of college (particularly that it could take me to a place larger and more diverse than my school and hometown) and knew that education was one opportunity that I could build upon.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
Don’t let being “first” stop you! Ask questions, seek out opportunities — everyone is rooting for you! There will be times when you don’t know something or feel overwhelmed, but remember that you’re not “wrong” for not knowing whatever it is or for feeling the way that you do. You deserve to be here. You belong here. And you can do this!

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
I try to leverage my own experience as a First Gen student in my advising with students, being sure to share that I myself am First Gen, and to create and provide resources that I think will be especially helpful to First Gen students related to studying off-campus.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
I’d love to meet with First Gen students! The easiest way to connect at this time is by email or by scheduling an appointment to meet with me virtually. I’d encourage students to share in that email or appointment request that they’re First Gen.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
While you are navigating waters that are largely uncharted for you and your family, you’re not alone no matter how alone you may feel at times! Many of the faculty and staff that instruct and support you are also First Gen, as well as many of your fellow Oles, and you just don’t know it. Regardless of anyone’s status of First Gen or not, we are here for you!

Admissions Campus Visit Coordinator Alyssa Wolter

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
I knew I wanted to go to college when I heard of the barriers an education could remove for a person. I was probably in 7th grade when I thought it was an option but didn’t really pursue or look into anything till I was a sophomore in high school.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
It is challenging but there is support outside of family that can help navigate the new systems. USE THEM!

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
I personally pride myself on willingness to listen and help navigate the challenges students face with them! If an answer is unknown to me, I fight to find the best answer for the student, EVERY student deserves someone in their corner.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
In this strange virtual world email is the best way, wolter1@stolaf.edu. When we return to campus my door is always open, TOH 220.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
Don’t give up, you never know who you are inspiring to be the best version of themselves!

Associate Dean of Admissions Jill Sauber

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
There was really never a question of if I’d go to college; my parents were both intentional about making it clear that college was an option for me. Around middle school is when it became more of a reality. At that point, my dad was living in Northfield, and I became aware of the presence of the two colleges in town. Actually seeing college campuses helped to make it feel more tangible and like something I actually wanted to experience first hand.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
Being First Gen is something to be proud of. Until I was in college, I didn’t realize that my situation was all that different from others’. Looking back, I realize that, since my parents didn’t attend college, they had to be more intentional about making sure my brother and I thought of college as a viable option and not as a long shot. My parents were always supportive, believed in me, and strongly believed in the value of a college education. This support gave me the confidence to realize that I could make it a reality.

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
In admissions, we are intentional in our recruiting process to recognize the whole student including family situations, student responsibilities, and support systems available to them. We acknowledge that, when a prospective student is First Gen, it’s not always a given that they have the encouragement and support that others do.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
I’m always happy to talk with First Gen students! Normally, I’d suggest stopping by the admissions office, but during the pandemic I encourage students to reach out by email.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to reach out to others (friends, mentors, professors, staff, etc.). There’s an amazing support network here for you. You’ve got this!

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Cassandra Joiner

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
At a young age I told my parents I wanted to be a teacher. Then by middle school I was obsessed with science and kept telling my parents that I was going to college. They were always supportive, but made sure that I went to college close to home. And with all of their love and support, I get to do the two things I love — teach science!

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
During undergrad I was always worried about my fellow classmates and professors finding out I was first generation and thinking I didn’t belong. There was so much I didn’t know, I worked hard to “fake it until I made it” so that no-one would know that I didn’t know what I was doing. While this was sometimes stressful, it was very advantageous. I didn’t know the “way things were done”, so if I needed help or advice, I wasn’t afraid to knock on doors or send emails to faculty and staff. This created great support networks and gave me opportunities that I don’t think I would have gotten otherwise.

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
I had a tough time as an undergrad finding a strong role model and wish I knew other first gen students/faculty that I could have gone to for advice. So, I work to be open and tell all of my students that I am first gen and share my journey from undergraduate to faculty, in hopes that other First Gen students see me as a resource for them. I also seek out First Gen students in my courses and from the McNair Scholars Program to work with me in my research lab.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
My door is always open! I am excited to meet First Gen students and welcome anyone to stop by to meet me or send an email if they need advice (or just want to say hi!).

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
Be proud to be First Gen! You have worked so hard to get to where you are and being First Gen makes you, YOU! Don’t be afraid to talk to faculty, staff, and other students and ask questions. Asking for help will get your further with less stress, and we are all here to help you! And finally, build your First Gen network, they will be an amazing support system throughout your career at St. Olaf and beyond.

Piper Center for Vocation and Career Associate Director of Alumni Career Services Jenele Grassle

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
My parents were farmers. I grew up in rural Iowa, graduating in a class of 26 students, two of whom attended college. I was one of those two. My parents understood that education provided opportunities and step into a less difficult life than they one they were experiencing. They began talking about college as a given – saying “when you go to college,” not “if you go to college.” It was in my plan from a young age. I was so fortunate!

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
There will be times when college is a overwhelming. I was naive and didn’t recognize the resources available to me. Seek support from faculty and staff as well as your fellow students. You can do this! We got you!

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
In my role at St. Olaf, I work primarily with alumni. However, I recently began advising incoming international students. I would like to be more visible to First Gen students – to provide support and advise as needed.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
Students can email me at any time if I can be of assistance. Since I work primarily with alumni, I am not always on campus. But, I am only an email away.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
While it is important to keep your long-term goals in mind, I encourage students to focus on the next step – and then the next step and the next – so as not to become overwhelmed by the process. You will get there – step by step. And, seek support. St. Olaf has wonderful resources to assist you during your academic journey and beyond. You are not alone!

Associate Director of Career Development & Coaching Bryan Shealer

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
I don’t know if I ever consciously decided this. I happened to be placed in more advanced placement classes in high school and so for most of the students around me, college was just the goal. So, it wasn’t that I really decided to go to college but rather it just seemed like that’s what I was supposed to do. I’m glad I did but I’m not sure how that decision would have developed if I had a different experience in High School.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
Often, when you are around peers who are not First Gen, it can be easy to feel a certain stigma or even shame that can lead you to try to hide this part of you – but this can lead you to avoid figuring things out for yourself in an authentic and useful way. Being First Gen means there are many thing “you don’t know, you don’t know” and that can be a little scary and intimidating. Also, this is just one small element of someone’s identity but it’s an important one as you navigate the St. Olaf experience.

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
I try to be very open about my story and honest about what I wish I had done differently. I hope that by being open I can help students feel proud of who they are and what they are accomplishing but also learn from my experience. My experiences are unique to me but there are many common elements among First Gen students that can help us all learn from each other and make it a little easier.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
Students should know that they will not be judged by me and that I genuinely want to get to know them as people first. Students are welcome to stop me on campus and say hello. They are welcome to email me any time. I’ll find time to have a conversation for any students who are looking for a place to talk.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
Be open to asking questions, especially the basic ones. Build as many relationships on campus as possible – have a lot of “mini-mentors”. Seek out as many stories from people as you can to give you examples of what is possible for your own path. All of these skills will increase the chance that you will get the right information needed to make more authentic and informed choices about your future. Most importantly, follow-through on the advice that you are given – you have to do the work. It’s up to you to take advantage of the people and opportunities that are presented to you.

CAAS Academic Enrichment Specialist Nayeli Trujillo

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
This was something that was expected of me since I was very young. I came into the U.S. at 7 years old, and since then, I felt that the only way to help my family and do something with my life would require getting an education. I knew that college was always in my future no matter what I had to go through; that would happen.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
Being First-Gen can sometimes be scary because it is like walking towards something you know is great and can’t just turn to your parents to ask them questions. It is also empowering learning and growing through your experiences.

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
My work in CAAS allows me to work with first-gen students in a variety of aspects. I coordinate programs like SI and tutoring that act as support to all students on campus. I also collaborate with other departments to inform students of our services. Finally, I advise first-gen students and help them developed their study skills and learning styles.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
Students can book an appointment via my link here: https://nayeli-trujillo.youcanbook.me/ Students can also email me: lazaro2@stolaf.edu

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
Sometimes being First means that you will find that it feels like you are the only one that doesn’t know. Remember there is nothing wrong with asking for support and getting your questions answered will only benefit you in the end. You will also find yourself questioning whether you are smart enough. Remember that you are smart enough. You got to where you are at (at college) because you worked hard just like everyone else. You deserve to be at Olaf.

Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of the Writing Program Diane LeBlanc

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
As early as second grade I knew that I wanted reading and writing to be central to my life. Then, at some point in high school, I understood that college was a way to create that pathway.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
During my sophomore year of college I dropped my journalism major, which promised a career that my father understood, to pursue an English major, which seemed more risky to my family. Being a first-generation student requires courage to take risks and create possibilities.

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
I teach classes that focus on institutions and power structures. Students explore these subjects to name, write about, and understand experiences such as being a First Gen student.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
I welcome conversations and invite students to visit during office hours (available through SIS).

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
Own your accomplishments and experience. I stumbled quite a bit during my first two years of college, then again in graduate school. Stumbling is natural and helps a person develop creativity and resilience.

Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Statistics, & Computer Science Jaime Davila

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
I was a bookish kid (still am!) so I knew from a young age that I wanted to go to college and become some sort of “scientist”. My dad never finished high school and started working at a young age and my mom although was a bright student at high-school was not encouraged to go to university due to the social norms of the times so they encouraged me and my sister to study hard and go to college.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
I went to a private college on a scholarship and I remember at times feeling inadequate because of my shoes or my clothes. One of the things that made me feel at home at college were the friends I met there, many of which were first-generation students as well. Also the math department in my college was a close-knit community and the professors and students were very welcoming, so I felt like I belonged there.

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
I am new to the St. Olaf community (just started this Fall) so I am still finding ways of doing that. I tried to reach out to my students and let them know that they can reach out to me for any type of advice.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
In these pandemic times I would advise them to just send me an email and I will be glad to send you a zoom link so that we can chat. If you are taking one of my classes just talk to me before or after class. Once this pandemic is over I hope office hours in person will help me to connect with them.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
You are not alone, so feel free to reach out to your peers and professors if you need a little bit of extra help.

Assistant Director of Marketing Ruben Duffie

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
I was told at a young age that it was important for my future to go to college. Even as a first gen it was normalized in my household that college was the next step in the education process so I never had any thoughts about not going to college. I was able to first earn my way into a college preparatory program in elementary school followed by earning my way into a college preparatory high school. In that high school being around ambitious people is what made college a desire compared to the next natural step.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
Being first gen is confusing. There are so many aspects of college that you don’t know or fully understand and it’s easy to try to blend in with the crowd and pretend to understand these nuances. It’s okay to not have all the answers and ask questions. For some first gens it’s time to grow us as well. In high school parents were there to help with a lot of the administrative and financial duties for you. If your parents didn’t go to college your at a point where neither of you know the next steps, so it’s up to you to learn and push through your path.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
You can always shoot me an email and we can get a meeting set up or we can email back and forth. I’m happy to help in any way.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
Closed mouths don’t get fed. As a first gen college student your college experience will be what you make it out to be. You can’t be afraid to ask questions and seek out help. Use the resources on campus to get the most out of your experience.

Director of Upward Bound Mari Avaloz

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
As a high schooler, I suppose I never thought about going to college until after I joined the St. Olaf College TRIO/Upward Bound (UB) program in the ninth grade. The UB staff helped me envision that sort of future was possible for me. Although I wasn’t a very strong student, academically, UB staff were my support system. My mom started college when she was eighteen, but dropped out during her first year to have my brother. My dad has a fifth-grade education and his biggest message to us was about having a strong work ethic. Throughout high school, it was clear I was on a destructive and unhealthy road. My home life was in shambles and my only sense of security and positivity came from Olaf’s UB program. I spent four summers living in Ellingson Hall, surrounded by people who believed in me. I suppose those summers saved my life. By the time I was a senior, I barely spoke to my dad and my mom worked so much, she didn’t notice that I rarely went to school. When I was told I wasn’t going to graduate, my dad bet me two hundred dollars I wouldn’t. I remember that being really hurtful, and even though I lost his faith, UB was still in my corner. Fortunately, with the help of UB staff, I ended up graduating and went to college.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
You don’t know what you’re not taught. My parents didn’t know how to motivate me. I have never blamed my parents for anything. However, I do remind them why, after twenty years, I am still working for the St. Olaf College UB program. I have never forgotten the impact that my old advisors had on me. I have never taken that for granted. Through UB, I hire a lot of young educators, and I always tell them that they can make a difference. They can inspire kids that might otherwise be lost. I think that’s important to know.

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
Fortunately, I get to do this every single day through my work with UB and within my own communities. Basically, I always try to meet first-gen students where they are, because again, they don’t know what they don’t know. It sounds so simple, but we often take things for granted, and I try to remind myself that their journey isn’t mine and all I can do is support them and meet them where they’re at.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
I LOVE meeting new people and being a sort of support system to others. I can always be contacted by email, text, phone call, and of course via Zoom.

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
I would suggest that first-gen students seek support, even if they don’t think they need it. Having strong, positive, and inspiring people in your life is only a benefit.

Assistant Professor of Asian Studies Joanne Quimby

When did you know you wanted to go to college?
As far back as I can remember, I knew I wanted to go to college. I was a total bookworm as a kid, and even though my parents hadn’t gone to college (my dad “barely graduated high school,” in his own words), they made it clear that they expected me to.

What do you want Oles to know about what it’s like to be First Gen?
It might not seem like a big deal to be First Gen, but it is! Our families might not have the same expectations or understanding about what it’s like to be a college student, adding another level of stress to the stress that comes with being a college student.

How do you work to support current First Gen students?
I try to be visible and available, and I am aware of challenges First Gen students in my classes might be facing. I am flexible and accommodating, and try to make sure that students are making use of the resources available to them.

How should current First Gen students approach you for advice?
Just send me an email! (since dropping by my office is not currently an option)

What advice do you have for current First Gen students?
It can be difficult to relate to family members, and as tiring as code-switching can be, you are not alone–we are all doing it, every day. My family still doesn’t really get what I do! But stay the course; remember that it is hard for them as well, seeing you become a different person. Education is transformative. Use some of that power back at home, too.

Learn how the St. Olaf TRIO McNair program is increasing the number of first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students who participate in undergraduate research, graduate with a B.A., and immediately enter and complete graduate school on St. Olaf News.