COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND–More than a hundred first-generation students gathered around tables filled with food, school spirit gifts, and resource packets. However, the most powerful moment was when students openly admitted that they often feel lost and are unsure on how to navigate college without family guidance. That vulnerability set the tone for a day focused on overcoming fear and building a community where no one has to navigate college alone.
The challenges extend beyond the classroom. First-generation students regularly face obstacles that their peers may never experience. These include managing financial aid on their own, explaining academic expectations to families who aren’t familiar with college, and carrying the pressure to succeed not just for themselves, but for entire households depending on their future.
These experiences were shared throughout the room, especially when CSI director and alumna Jennifer Durando spoke about her own first-generation background. She recalled how it felt to enter college with no roadmap, confused and isolated.
“Everything felt absolutely frightening because I had no idea how college worked – financial aid, the bursar office, who to ask for help, I was completely lost,” said Durando. “I leaned on my peers until I realized there were people here who truly wanted students like me to succeed.”
