Larry Roper - Impact of 1st Generation Students
From Natalia Fernandez
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I think they add a toughness, you know, I mean I think that there is, there is an attribute that comes with having survived struggle that brings to an organization a kind a heart that it wouldn’t have if it's just populated by people who have lives of privilege. And I think it also brings an element of creativity that wouldn't exist otherwise because, again, when I think about first generation students and them having to find a way when a way appears not to be possible, that requires sort of this creative approach to the world of being able to figure, find a door, when it seems to be this sort of blank space. And so, when first generation students are in situations with others, they can help them to see possibilities that might not otherwise be there. I think the other thing that I find with first year, generation students is that because they've had to rely upon the support, the kindness, generosity, challenge of others, that there is a service ethic that's very different in terms of desire to say, “Now that I have made it I don't want to turn my back on people who are in a situation that I was in, and so I wanna figure out how do I now-- Student: Give back. Larry: yeah, “give back.” And again, I think that sometimes is very different than those who are privileged who say, you know, “I got here on my own effort, and I just work” and everything, they don't pay tribute to the communities that have nurtured them, but I see something different in first years, first generation students so. But let me just add one more thing. You know I think with first generation students one of the things that they can bring to an institution that wouldn't be there otherwise is hope. Because it takes a huge leap to believe that something that you've not seen is possible, you know, sort of this faith in the unseen. And so, oftentimes first generation students will come from an environment where, at least when I think about my own, where at least my life was a life of sort of social isolation, where you feel like sort of your community isn't cared for or who you are isn't valued, but you believe that you do have value, you do believe that a better world for yourself and others is possible. And I think that there is something incredible and something really powerful about having that element be present in an institution. And again, I think that that's why when I think about some of the kind of advocacy and the people who do a lot of the activism work, you find that there's largely there's a lot of first generation students in there because they're saying, I, “we want to help our country, our community to achieve the ideal that we know is there and that can come if we really are committed to working hard.”
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