A First Generation Problem
By Albert B. Kelly
For all that’s been done in the name of inclusion,
diversity, and removing barriers to opportunity in our society, there are
little things that we encounter that we didn’t know were barriers until we were
confronted with them directly. These barriers are not necessarily anyone’s
fault and there’s no one to blame, but they’re barriers nonetheless. This issue
of unintended barriers became apparent to me while listening to a piece by
NPR’s Sarah McCammon on college applications and difficulties encountered by disadvantaged
students.
The topic caught my attention because Bridgeton has been
ground zero for the efforts of the Give Something Back Foundation, an
organization started by entrepreneur and businessman Bob Carr, which over the
past several years has provided upwards of fifty full tuition scholarships to academically
worthy Bridgeton High School students who are for the most part, the first ones
in their respective families to attend college or university.
In the NPR piece, McCammon spoke with a college-bound
student from a disadvantaged background who shared her frustration with some of
the questions contained on college applications that wealthier upper class
applicants don’t necessarily think twice about. For example, one question asked
“what is your favorite type of publication?” For a kid from a low-income family
where it’s enough to put food on the table and keep the heat on, such a
question assumes a lot. I’m not saying these kids don’t read, I’m saying
magazines and subscriptions, digital and otherwise, can be expensive.
I am fan of magazines and if you have ever visited the
magazine section of a bookstore, you know that it is nothing to drop $50 or $60
on relatively few magazines each week or month depending on the publication. But
it’s not just magazines - university applications ask about an applicant’s
favorite newspaper, film, author, artist, etc. An application will also ask
about a student’s favorite event of the past year (e.g., performances,
exhibits, sporting events, etc.).
There is nothing inherently wrong with these questions, but
they presume resources- whether financial, cultural, or even free time- that
many low income first generation students simply do not have because that’s the
nature of life on the margins. There’s not much of anything to offer or share in
these areas when you’re in “just-getting-by” mode. Life there is stressful and
it creates a certain mindset or way of thinking that’s often looked down on or
frowned upon by those a little higher up on the food chain.
That said, it doesn’t mean that low-income first generation
applicants don’t have extraordinary stories, enormous character, incredible savvy,
and a lot of determination because they do. While college and university
applications ask about work or jobs held or seek similar “life experience”
responses, it is hard to paint a full picture in a 150 words, which is often
the word limit for these types of questions.
Many of the kids I know might have limited extracurricular “activities”
as these have been traditionally perceived and understood, but these same kids
know how to handle pressure and responsibility from a young age whether looking
after younger siblings while their parents work all day or serving as
translators in a dozen government offices because they are the ones who speak English
well enough to explain things to mom and dad.
As much as I hate to say it, some of the things that count
for cultural “enrichment” for those with means are simply privileges that not
everyone can access or afford. Rather than dismissing disadvantaged students because
their answers about favorite movies, keepsakes and mementos, or sources of
inspiration don’t resonate with the admissions folks, my hope is that colleges
and universities would broaden the criteria by which they evaluate these
students so that they will be able to appreciate what these young people have
to offer- which is not insignificant.
Fortunately, the greater Bridgeton area has programs such as
the Families to College Collaborative that work with students and their families
to prepare for the college experience on a number of levels. This matters
because sending the first generation to college or university impacts the
entire family. On some level, it can be as much about class and social status
as about academics and if that’s not understood and handled with sensitivity,
the tensions that arise and the stress it brings could keep some smart and
talented kids from grabbing onto this ladder of opportunity.