The Wrap Up is Signal Cleveland’s year-end series that updates stories we covered throughout 2023. This year, we published a series about first-generation students from area colleges. Here’s a synopsis of those stories.

This fall, Signal Cleveland wanted to highlight stories of first-gen students and graduates in our city. 

An estimated 5 million current undergraduates nationwide are the first in their families to go to college. And though figuring out the ins and outs of higher education can be tough for everyone, students whose parents didn’t graduate from college often face different challenges. 

We posted one profile each month on our Instagram page. Read on for a few things we learned.  

“You are an instrument of radical change”  

We talked with Mia Basit in September. The Bedford High School graduate goes to Baldwin Wallace University. When she was applying for college, she said, she realized that “higher education is often unattainable for people who have less social capital.” 

That’s especially true for Black and brown people as well as those who come from under-resourced high schools, she pointed out. 

“By being first to break past these challenges, you are an instrument of radical change,” she said.  

How does family support matter? 

Just because first-gen students’ and graduates’ parents didn’t go to college doesn’t mean they don’t offer help along the way. 

Melinda Dang, a first-generation graduate of Ohio State University, remembers the questions her dad asked about her experience. He wondered if there was a dress code or if students could leave campus. 

“While my parents weren’t able to help me with applications or assignments, they could pick me up for breaks and provide home-cooked meals,” she said.

Signal Cleveland Higher Education Reporter Amy Morona relates to that. As the first-gen graduate shared in September, her parents learned how to navigate the admissions system with her, and she kicked off the series by recounting one of her first college visits with her parents. 

While other students and their families asked about “college stuff,” such as standardized test scores, studying abroad, and selecting dorms, her dad asked about the college’s weather. 

“Eighteen years later, I can see how indicative that moment is of my experience as a first-generation college student,” she said. “No one in my family really knew the right questions to ask.” 

The power of words  

Current Case Western Reserve University student Sabian Burke never heard the term “first-gen” until he crossed paths with the university’s first-gen club.

“Before then, I didn’t really think about that label,” he said. “I never realized the battles first-gens face differently, like figuring out how to navigate financial aid on your own or not having anyone in your family to help you write a resume. I just thought, ‘Well, maybe this is normal. This must be how everyone navigates college.’” 

Now, though, he’s found community to help him navigate his college experience. That includes the First CWRU club, where he’s now on the executive board. 

What resources exist for future first-gen students?

Glad you asked! We compiled a guide for current high school students who may be the first in their families to think about attending college. You can check it out here.