Rowan DuBois | staff writer

In the bubble that is a college campus, it can be easy to forget about the surrounding world. It can also be easy to forget that college isn’t a guarantee, or even a possibility for everyone. Darren Johnson, senior environmental science major, is reminded of this when he visits home, and sees his dean’s list certifications.

“[My mom] hangs up all the dean’s list things in the hallway,” Johnson said. “I tell her they don’t really mean anything, and she’s like, ‘No, look at them. I sent a picture to all your aunts and your uncles.’”

Johnson is a first-generation college student, someone whose parents have not completed a four-year degree. According to Duquesne’s website, 30% of all students identify as first-generation.

In May, Johnson will be the first family member on his mom’s side to graduate.

When he first enrolled at Duquesne his perception of college came from what he’d seen in movies and on TV.

“I was like, ‘Oh, college is like a lot of social events, and clubs are super, super big,” Johnson said.

Senior Chloe Cox, another first-generation student, said much of her idea of college came from Hollywood, too, leaving her without a realistic expectation of what it would be like.

“It was the first time I would be living away from my parents and family,’” Cox said. “Even though I literally live just across the bridge, it was still a big adjustment for me. I didn’t know what to expect because [my parents] couldn’t tell me anything. They didn’t do it.”

The transition from living at home to living on campus was frightening for Cox.

“I remember driving [to campus],” Cox said. “I was living in St. Ann’s, and I just remember sobbing. I was so scared. I was terrified.”

Even though Cox’s family lives close by, she said her relationship with them has evolved since she started at Duquesne.

“If anything, I’ve gotten closer to them,” Cox said. “Being away, that distance makes the heart grow fonder, and it makes me happier to see them whenever I do see them.”

Senior Allison DelRosario has had a similar experience with her family. Her mom still wants to talk on the phone often, even during the busiest times of the year.

“Me getting on the phone and telling them ‘Hey I can’t talk right now, you may not hear from me for a few days, but that’s just because I’m in the library.’ That stuff is very foreign to them,” DelRosario said.

DelRosario, whose dad immigrated from the Dominican Republic, is also a first-generation student, and, for her, that means pursuing the education her family fought for.

“The whole reason my family immigrated to the United States was for education,” DelRosario said, “And that has never been lost on me. I feel like that is something that is not a unique story.”

Similar to DelRosario, Johnson knows his family is proud of him, but he also knows they won’t always understand what his experience is like.

“Sometimes the support can seem a little hollow, but that’s only because they’re kind of just giving me affirmations, but they haven’t experienced it,” Johnson said. “They don’t really know what they’re encouraging in me… they can’t be like, ‘Oh, do really good on your midterms.’ It’s just, ‘Do your best. We’re proud of you.’”

All three seniors said they never utilized any first-generation specific resources at Duquesne, and that those resources should be advertised more.

“I hope that Duquesne and other schools understand that those resources could be the make or break between someone staying in school or not staying in school,” DelRosario said. “I think that if people are more aware of resources like that, it would really lessen that gap that they feel.”

The university’s website offers resources for first-generation students which include the Center for Excellence in Diversity and Student Inclusion, Health Services and Career Services. Duquesne also hosts a campus-wide event as part of the National First-Generation College Celebration.

On the other hand, sophomore Skiyah Linh, another first-generation student, said she wouldn’t be at Duquesne without the help of multiple faculty members, specifically in the music school.

“Honestly, Duquesne was really helpful with the process,” Linh said. “They were really responsive to any emails I had any time I would call in, and I would call in and I would ask questions that sounded actually ridiculous, but they were still really nice to me.”

Despite the assistance, Linh sometimes felt isolated in her early times at school.

“It was kind of a culture shock,” Linh said. “Typically, I feel like people have an expectation because of the stories that their parents might tell them. They know what to bring, they kind of have that general idea. But I kind of feel like I went in a little bit blind.”

When she looks at where she is now, Linh can’t help but think about her family.

“I’m just grateful,” Linh said. “I always try to be grateful. I just want people to know that I did, I am doing and will do the best I can, for myself but also for my family. I just want to be able to give back to them everything that they gave to me.”

As DelRosario looks ahead to her graduation day, she also can’t help but look back on how she got there.

“I always just think about my heritage, my ancestors who came before me who didn’t even have the opportunity to [go to college],” DelRosario said. “This was never even feasible for them, so that’s always the first thing that comes to my mind, especially when it gets hard. At least I can be here.”

Rowan DuBois can be reached at duboisr1@duq.edu