“The experiences that come with being first-gen have helped me grow to be an independent and resilient young woman. They have shaped my perspectives and fostered my aspirations to give back to my community.”
Jessa Fate Bayudan
My backstory
I was born and raised in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States at the age of seven with my mother and brother. Since then, I have grown up in Delano, a small, rural town in the Central Valley. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long until we realized that the American dream does not necessitate reality. With my single mother carrying our family’s annual financial burden on the back of her $8/hr wage, we struggled to make ends meet.
We depended on food stamps and lived in a small bedroom at my uncle’s house. As a newcomer to this country, I felt like an outsider. I struggled with not knowing the language fluently, not having the same support system I had back home, adjusting to a new environment and culture, and having to grow up years beyond my age.
I am the daughter of immigrant field workers – the same individuals I credit to be my inspiration and beacon for my own resilience. Being brought up in a predominantly low-income, POC community, I have seen and experienced the disadvantages caused by poverty and the lack of opportunities made available to young people. These experiences, however, have shaped my perception of the world and fostered my values.
What motivated me to go to college
Growing up in the circumstances that I did, I have always seen higher education as the only solution to alleviate both myself and my family from our socioeconomic troubles. Knowing that my parents work under the scorching sun– with temperatures reaching up to 110 degrees– in the grape fields to merely survive, I felt responsible to grant their inclination for their children to attend college. Witnessing their struggles, I am reminded that every day is an opportunity for me to better our socioeconomic situation by succeeding in my educational endeavors.
What I would tell my freshman self
I would say, be kinder to yourself and celebrate the little wins. Coming into college, there was a lot of pressure coming from my family and most importantly, from myself, to adjust quite quickly. This created an internal conflict which made the process all the more difficult.
But college is a brand new chapter that takes a lot of navigating and understanding. Being your own self’s biggest cheerleader is crucial for one’s mental and emotional well-being. “Do” college at your own pace and to your own accord. It’s not a competition.
How my background helped me
My background has provided me with a network of support and encouragement from fellow first-generation students. In addition, the experiences that come with being first-gen have helped me grow to be an independent and resilient young woman. They have shaped my perspectives and fostered my aspirations to one day give back to my community.
The best thing about my college experience
The best thing about my college experience is learning from other people. This has broadened my view of the world and provided me with different lenses–all of which are unique and inspiring. I enjoy hearing other people’s stories and learning about their own challenges in life. I am curious to know other people’s reasons for going to college because is the stories are quite uplifting.
“Growing up underserved also formed my mission to serve the community that raised me. It gave me the experience to understand the needs and potential solutions surrounding our healthcare inequities.”
Patrick Samones
My backstory
I’ve spent my entire life in Moreno Valley, a city in Inland Southern California that is medically and socioeconomically underserved. For a region larger than New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island combined, we have half as many primary care physicians, to treat a population of over 4 million.
Growing up, I normalized the health disparities around me. I didn’t question the many fast-food restaurants within five minutes of my home, yet the lack of farmer’s markets. I normalized those around me -- loved ones, classmates, people in my community -- not regularly seeing their physicians, dentists, and more. I saw those in my high school wear the same glasses year after year.
I also normalized the educational inequities as part of my K-12 education in the area. My school district lacked the funding and tutoring services, comparatively offered less AP classes, cut extracurriculars, and maximized students to legal capacity in nearly every class. Less than three percent of the students in my high school participated in a math or science AP class. I was part of that three percent.
What motivated me to go to college
My parents told me that school was my job and the key that would unlock many paths they could not pursue. I chose UC Riverside because of its familiarity: The university was less than 15 minutes (three freeway exits!) from my home.
Being close to home and my support system was necessary for my success and strength in an uphill battle with higher education coming from an inequitable background. UC Riverside also supported me: It offers extremely competitive financial aid packages, harbors a large first-generation student population, and provides necessary resources and mentorship to students in need.
I found medicine through the mission of UC Riverside in developing a generation of physicians dedicated to serving underserved communities like my own.
What I would tell my freshman self
It’s okay to feel unconfident. It’s okay to make mistakes and not feel ready. It’s okay to feel lost. It’s okay to feel like you don’t belong because of where you come from. Know you will belong where you need to be through your sheer effort and the mentors you find along the way. You’ll discover a community of people similar to you, going through these same worries.
Seek the resources around you and don’t be afraid to ask for help. I know you’ve trailblazed and created your own path because you’ve been forced to do that for your whole life, but you don’t have to do this alone.
How my background helped me
Being first-gen meant I had to develop the grit and resilience to forge my own path and navigate the premedical pathway without any family connections to healthcare. This taught me valuable skills in seeking resources and finding help when I knew I needed it. Growing up underserved also formed my mission to serve the community that raised me. It gave me the experience to understand the needs and potential solutions surrounding our healthcare inequities.
The best thing about my college experience
My undergraduate career allowed me to discover my passion for service in underserved populations and community-based medicine. I’m honored to continue the work I began as an undergraduate and the opportunity to work with like-minded peers across diverse and non-traditional backgrounds who also wish to serve in my community.
“If there’s anything I’ve learned in my time in college it’s that everything and everyone that comes into your life is meant to teach you something about yourself.”
Fatima Maciel
My backstory
I grew up in San Jose, California with my parents and older sister. Both of my parents were undocumented, and our family struggled to make ends meet.
Living poor and undocumented means seeing your mother fight for her education and break down when she is told that her dreams of being a nurse will never come true. It means being ashamed to wait in line for a food drive. It means being a translator for your parents at the age of five. It means being in second grade and having to know what to do in case your parents get deported.
My childhood was bittersweet but those were the experiences that shaped who I am today. There was a lot to unpack as I grew older, but it gave me the opportunity to reflect on my life thus far and be grateful for the beautiful life my parents were able to give me despite their own struggles.
What motivated me to go to college
When I was in elementary school, I learned what undocumented meant. It was the day my parents disclosed their citizenship status to me as undocumented immigrants. While my parents tried to sugarcoat the position our family stood in, the media didn’t hesitate in exploiting the narratives of undocumented immigrants to justify their arguments against them. The criticism I heard both on and off-screen forced me to become ashamed of my heritage.
It took a great deal of time and self-reflection to realize the importance of staying true to my roots. My parents’ journey and selfless actions have formed me into an independent and determined individual who aspires to make her parents’ journey worth leaving everything behind and proud of the person they raised.
The battle against discrimination that immigrants and the Latinx community face continues, but the controversy has inclined me to work tirelessly. I’ve persisted in my education to eventually graduate with a degree in public policy and ethnic studies, in hopes of expanding my contributions to my community and helping the fight against anti-immigration policies that target minorities in America.
What I would tell my freshman self
I would tell her that every failure or setback is a learning experience. It’s difficult to stay optimistic and hopeful when you feel like everything around you is falling apart, but if there’s anything I’ve learned in my time in college it is that everything and everyone that comes into your life is meant to teach you something about yourself.
How my background helped me
My first-generation background has given me the drive and motivation to succeed. I was never academically pressured to pursue a specific career path by my parents, but I still felt the need to provide them with the best life I I am passionate about the work I do. It has grown beyond simply making my parents proud to encompass supporting and representing marginalized communities like the one I grew up in.
The best thing about my college experience
The best thing about my college experience has been the people I’ve met and the lessons I’ve learned from them. Never in my life would I have thought that I could build such real, raw, and genuine connections with people on the level that I have. These people have made my experience at UC San Diego significant, and I hope to continue to grow our friendships beyond our undergraduate life.
“I saw both of my parents work multiple jobs to give us a stable life. This taught me resilience, responsibility, and a very good work ethic. It also taught me to keep the big picture in my head all the time.”
Hassan Pathan
My backstory
I was born in India and I immigrated here at a very early age with my parents. I learned a lot of my English from sitcoms, movies, and my cousins growing up.
My parents have always been the biggest supporters of my education since I was little. I loved going to school as a kid because it allowed me to explore all kinds of new things. I think it was 2008 when we watched the first Iron Man movie and I came out of that movie a completely different kid. It birthed my love for the STEM field. After that, I would go to the library and read up on anything engineering related and would build all kinds of things from old computer parts.
What motivated me to go to college
One of the main motivations for me to go to college is to provide a better life for my family. I would not be where I am today without them. All of the struggles they went through and all of the sacrifices they made make me very grateful to have the opportunity to pursue a higher education.
What I would tell my freshman self
I would tell him to trust the process and worry a little less, things will work out.
How my background helped me
As first-generation students we’re sort of the guinea pigs in our families. My parents knew very little about college or much of my interests in the STEM fields. My mom, however, always did the most to learn with me and for me. We would be at every college information resource fair to get any and all information possible, even if I was just in middle school at the time.
I saw both of my parents work multiple jobs to give us a stable life. This taught me resilience, responsibility, and a very good work ethic. It also taught me to keep the big picture in my head all the time.
The best thing about my college experience
I think the best part of my college experience has been the opportunity to explore what I am truly interested in. Without the opportunity to fail so many times, I would not be where I am today.