Advice for First Generation Students from a First Generation 研究生

我是一个最近被收养的路德教徒，我被马丁·路德对教育的承诺和迪特里希·邦霍费尔对面对不公正的行动的承诺所吸引.

Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

我是第一代大学毕业生，也是我们家和村子里唯一一个获得博士学位的人. 我仍然, 直到今天, 从哈佛大学毕业17年后，我一直在努力争取进入学术界. The consequences of being the first at accomplishing something are very profound and long lasting. 通过亲身经历，我知道不知道如何驾驭教育给我们带来的特权文化，同时保持我们的根基和与那些充其量只是怀疑地看着我们想要与众不同的人的联系是什么感觉. Because I understand how hard it is to navigate this change and loss, I have always had a commitment to serve as a bridge to others like me. Through my vocation at Concordia University 欧文, 我渴望分享我的故事，以激励攻读博士学位的教育工作者在他们自己的领域解决公平问题. 最近，我有机会通过成为西班牙裔服务机构来支持康考迪亚大学欧文分校为像我这样的其他学生服务的努力.

Focusing on our Neighbors

Living in the beautiful cities of 欧文, Tustin, 或者在周边地区，很难记住我们是其他急需支持的社区的邻居. In our own neighboring city of Santa Ana, 其中96%的人口是西班牙裔，87%的学生生活在低收入家庭，45%的学生来自英语不是主要语言的家庭, it is clear that the educational challenges are paramount. When comparing the educational level of Hispanics with that of the White, non-Hispanic population, the disparity seems immense.  The high school graduation rates for students who identified as White, non-Hispanic is 95 % and for Hispanics is 52 %. 以学士学位完成程度来比较这些人群，发现了更严重的差异:那些自认为是白人的人, non-Hispanic graduate at a rate of 40 % and Hispanics at a rate 8 %. 作为一名教育者, a first generation college student, 一个移民, I am led to a mission of improving access for these students through my vocation. “Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.”  Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

在康科迪亚工作，我找到了为学业上处于劣势的学生争取权益的机会. 最近, Concordia has become a Hispanic Serving Institution and received a Title V grant from the U. S. 在我们的本科课程中为西班牙裔和低收入学生建立一个支持系统. 我反思了自己经历的挑战，以及我的目标的意义，即为那些来自学业成绩不达标的家庭和社区的学生提供一座桥梁.  It is difficult to understand the needs of students who come as first generation to college. 有很多问题不利于这些学生，动机和行为之间的关系往往被夸大了. 我们通常认为想上大学就等于在大学里取得成功，尽管上大学的动机是必要的, it is not sufficient. 要想成功，学生们必须采取很多步骤，而很多时候，学生们并不清楚这些步骤，而且往往很难采取. 在思考我多么希望能够弥合第一代学生家庭文化和学术文化之间的差异时，我反思了我发现的一些挑战和我希望得到的建议. 这些是我在大学期间遇到并影响了我的教育经历的一些困境.

Loving and Respecting our Families

• 是的, we are a valuable part of our family and in a way we are their hope, which is a big load at times. 为了将来的成功和对家庭的贡献，我们现在需要优先考虑我们的教育，这并不容易，但这并不意味着我们不爱我们的家庭, it is just a step we need to take to help us focus and succeed.
• 是的, 大学教育将教会我们如何以不同的方式看待世界，而这些方式可能与我们家庭看待世界的方式不同, but that does not mean we will not love them anymore. Education may actually help us understand their ways better.
• 是的, we will be around other people who are educated and have high status in our society, but we will always love our families most, they would never leave us, our bond is stronger than prestige. 父母 often need to be reminded of their importance.

Asking and Receiving Help

• There are many steps we need to learn (i.e., financial resources, study groups, editing, tutoring). Do not be afraid to ask for help. There are many people there for you, just ask and the right person will respond.
• 不要把评论或态度当作针对个人的:你是上帝呼召你去的地方，如果有人不理解你的旅程，帮助他们理解它.
• Help other people help you. When someone advocates for you they are taking a chance on you, sometimes this requires you to rise to their expectations
• Focus on gratitude and appreciation, you may find many people who will doubt you or even resent you, but you will also find some who are on your side and will push you to excel. The difference between these two positions is not always clear, but the risk is worth taking.

一天一天来

• Remember you are in a new context, the context of academia is like a different culture or language, you are becoming multicultural by learning the academic language, this does not make you fake or “a White wannabe.” Nobody owns knowledge, it is there for you too.
• You are the first at college and maybe the first to grow up in this country and the hope of many, do not let these high expectations overwhelm you, take it one step at a time.

今年，康考迪亚大学欧文分校开始作为西班牙裔服务机构为学生提供服务，并通过该项目获得赠款资金 “Advancing: Acceso y Éxito” (Advancing: Access and Success) 将通过直接和间接的服务为西班牙裔和低收入学生提供支持. This accomplishment was achieved thanks to the vision of Concordia’s leadership team.  我们非常感谢神向我们展示了他的旨意，通过这笔助学金帮助这些学生，并给了我们服务的机会.  我也为学生们祈祷，让他们感到受欢迎，并在康考迪亚大学找到鼓舞人心的基督徒生活模式.  May God help us carry out His will through our actions in humble service. 

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Dr. Blanca Quiroz, Associate Professor
Doctor of Education Program

传记

Dr. Blanca Quiroz is an associate professor in the Doctor of Education Program at Concordia University, 欧文. 布兰卡在洛杉矶联合学区(LAUSD)担任小学教师，开始了她的教育生涯。. She has conducted extensive research in the areas of cultural psychology, 早期双语, language and literacy acquisition, early childhood education curriculum, and professional development. 在哈佛大学教育研究生院获得语言和读写能力发展领域的博士学位后, 她转学到德州，在德州大学教育与人类发展研究生院担任助理教授 & 米大学. Dr. Quiroz作为斯坦福大学和奥斯汀市的研究助理，为拉丁裔家庭开发了育儿干预措施, TX. Her work has been highlighted in local newspapers and early family intervention reviews. 她致力于通过教授严格的科学研究实践来帮助拉丁裔家庭的孩子掌握入学准备技能，这反映了她以社区为导向的教学方法.

专业领域:

• Language Acquisition
• Early Literacy Development in Spanish/English Bilinguals
• Second Language Acquisition
• 儿童发展
• 应用语言学
• 文化心理学
• Migrants’ Education
• 英语教育
• Parental Involvement
• Quantitative Methods