MOLINE, Ill. — Black Hawk College recognized its first-gen students with a small celebration for National First-Generation College Students Day on Monday, Nov. 8. Students were invited to come play carnival games for prizes, take photos and enjoy a sandwich.
"Just really to celebrate first-gen, and let students know that they're appreciated, that we're here for them," said Lisa Hansen, Director of TRIO Student Support Services and Tutoring at Black Hawk College, "and show that unified support."
TRIO is a grant funded program by the Department of Education that helps provide resources, such as financial literacy software and student workshops, for study skills or for help completing financial aid forms. Hansen emphasized the importance of having resources and support available for first-generation students.
"First-gen students don't have the advocate that person before in their family that they can connect with to just say, 'Hey, what did you do when you were in that situation?'" Hansen said. "We want to make sure that they know that they can come to all of us, that we're their supports while they're here, and really get any questions answered, feel comfortable, finish that degree."
"I've been seeing a lot of other students, of course, utilizing the resources and being so grateful, especially with the tutoring, since that's also a big part that people come down," first-generation student Natalie Rosales said. "They're all really there to be resources as well to help the students as much as possible, which is really great to see."
Maria Gerardo is a freshman at Black Hawk who wants to study criminal justice and eventually join the FBI. She is also a first-generation college student.
"Honestly, I'm gonna say it scared me at first because I have no one to guide me, or there wasn't somebody holding my hands," she said. "But as the first one, I kind of see how it is now. So I can set an example for my sisters who would be going to college right after me."
Gerardo has three younger sisters, two of which came to the event with her Monday. She said she's already been helping one of her high school sisters navigate researching and preparing for college. However, she added being the role model has some added pressures.
"It's nice because then they have someone to look up to, and they know what not to do or what to do," Gerardo said. "But it does feel like a lot of pressure sometimes because you're like, 'I don't want to mess up.'"
This pressure was something sophomore Rosales understood well, but she is the youngest of five kids. Her older siblings weren't able to go to college for financial reasons.
"It's the expectations mainly of what everyone has for you now," Rosales said. "It's even hard for me since I'm the youngest of my family, so it's more like something that of course, my older siblings couldn't have at all, so it's more like the last chance so to speak."
Gerardo is encouraging those who have help available to them when it comes to applying for college, to take it and not "neglect it."
"Not everyone is as lucky or fortunate to have someone to guide them through the college process, so just be thankful for the help you're getting," she said. "Don't be like, 'Oh, why are they telling me to do this and that?' Because, like I said, not everyone has that opportunity to do that."
Black Hawk College has 1,495 first-generation students enrolled this fall semester, according to Hansen. That includes its East Campus. It defines a first-generation student as a student whose parents haven't earned a bachelor's degree.