Running head: FINAL ACTION PLAN

Final Action Plan Paper

Taylor Rilling
Azusa Pacific University
Mari Luna De La Rosa
CCSD 567

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Final Action Plan Paper

Diversity is a significant part of any college campus and always enriches student
learning. A diversity action plan helps bring understanding about different student populations
that can be overlooked most of the time. For my action plan I chose to learn more about firstgeneration students. My overall goal consisted of gaining more knowledge about firstgeneration students and learning about difficulties they face when entering college. Without a
doubt I believe I accomplished this goal through my action plan. I know I have grown an
incredible amount on a professional level through completing the activities in this plan. I now
believe I am much more equipped on a professional level to work with first-generation students.
Because most students attending college are now first-generation it is important to understand
their needs and struggles. Because I feel more confident in working with first-generation
students I would feel comfortable working in a position directly geared towards them.
In Objective #1 my goal was to develop an awareness of the transition first generation
students go through. There were three main parts to this objective: personal reflection and
discussion on my personal assumptions of first generation students, watch a video on difficulties
first generation students experience, and read an article about first generation students. Overall,
it is important to define and be aware of what it is like to be a first generation student on todays
campuses. From this objective I learned definitions of first-generation students an became aware
of what it means to be a first-generation student.
The first part of this objective included my own personal reflection of what I previously
understood about first generation students. All of my assumptions were based off of stereotypes.
Because this is where most assumptions stem from it makes sense. The main stereotypes are as
follows: first generation students are from low income, lower class, ethnic minority homes where

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their parents do not support or understand why they are going to college. I assumed most of
them do not know much about college due to the fact that their parents and other family
members have not attended. I realize, however, that not all students fit this specific profile. First
generation students can also come from white, middle class families or any other home situation.
I know there was a lot for me to learn about this student population, but I have a passion to
understand them. Because this is a growing part of the student population I want to know how to
help them in the most effective way possible.
In part two if the first objective I watched a video, which involved interviews with first
generation students. It was very informative and I really heard what the students had to say.
Each of their home experiences were so different that by the time they made it through their first
year of college they had a lot more to share about what it is like to be a first generation student in
college. They encouraged incoming first generation students to get a mentor who will be able to
help navigate them through this new experience. The number one thing they wanted other
students to know about college was to get involved in something. The importance of joining a
club or doing something within student activities was high on the list.
Some of the students shared about their family involvement in helping them get to
college. For a few of them their parents highly encouraged them to attend college, which meant
they felt more supported when they entered college. Many of these students felt like quitting
college at times because they did not think they could do it after all. Being reminded that college
was only ever going to be a benefit to their lives is what encouraged them to keep going. After
watching this video I realized how much first generation students need support through a mentor
when they first arrive to college. They also need encouragement not to quit when times get hard,
and times will get hard. This really helped me understand in what areas first generation students

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need the most help. I think more than anything the biggest need of first generation students is
support in adjusting to college and all of the services available to them.
For the third part of objective one I decided to read an article called The gap between
educational aspirations and attainment for the first-generation college students and the role of
parental involvement by Graziella Pagliarulo and Karen Kurotsuhci Inkelas (2006). This article
researched the importance parental involvement is in the lives of first-generation college
students. The study showed that parental involvement is not the main predictor for college
aspirations in first-generation students, but it is for non first-generation students. Also getting
good grades was an important predictor of first-generation students aspiring to go to college. It
is interesting that good grades is a better predictor of first-generation students going to college
than the amount of parental involvement. It made me think about my own experience in having
aspirations to attend college. The involvement of my mom was a higher influence for me to go
to college than my grades were. It is curious that it seems to be almost the opposite for firstgeneration students.
This study has helped me realize that parents of first-generation students need to be
reached out to as well. Encouraging the parents to be even more involved in the students life
may become another helpful source for the student. It is probably also helpful to comfort the
parents on the thought that it is ok for them to not understand everything about college and that
they can still help their student regardless of how much they know. This article helped me
become very aware of the involvement of parents in a students educational life, especially that
of a first-generation student.
The goal for objective number two was to gain an increased knowledge of firstgeneration students. This was accomplished through talking with first-generation students,

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reading a book about first-generation students in college, and interview a student affairs
professional who works with first-generation students. This objective ended up giving me the
most information. I learned the most from the activities in this objective because the things firstgeneration students go through became more personal for me. After interviewing students and
hearing about their experiences with transitioning to college I felt like I gained a larger
knowledge of some of the hardships they go through.
All of the information I gained from this objective helped me to learn about the hardships
that first-generation students go through. Hearing first hand about the lack of parental
understanding really gave me compassion for this student group. I think back on my transition to
college and remember it being easy as far as parental support. My mom understood and knew
what I was supposed to do so the whole transition and experience was simple. I understand now
why it can be so hard for first-generation students. If a person has never experienced something
as complex as the college system it can be hard to navigate on his or her own. Every firstgeneration student has to navigate through college while teaching their parents about it. Nonfirst-generation students have the luxury of their parents already understanding the demanding
structure of college. First-generation students do not usually have this type of support and
therefore can feel even more unprepared for college.
The first section of the objective was to talk with first-generation students on campus
about how being first-generation impacted their college experience. After interviewing a few
students and hearing their experiences as first-generation students I feel very informed. Talking
with students helped me understand more about them because it became more personal. None of
them felt very prepared to come to college based on their high school experience. Because none
of their parents really understood what they were doing it was a harder transition. For one

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student in particular it seemed to be a smoother college experience because she is a MEL scholar
and had a support system on campus from the beginning.
Most of the students had no financial support from their families; however, their families
encouraged them to attend college so they could become financially stable in the future. One
student in particular mentioned not knowing the college system and having no one to help guide
them through choosing a major, etc. As the students learned about college so did their parents.
For example, FAFSA was something the students all had to figure out on their own because their
parents had no idea what the importance of it was. The wisest piece of information I heard from
a student pertained to the family culture of first-generation students. She said that the amount of
family involvement of students depends on what culture their family comes from. In her
experience, she is Latina, her family is involved in her college experience, but not completely
understanding of her being away from home and never moving back. This to say, it is very easy
for first-generation students to feel lost and unsupported if they have no support or connections
on campus.
The second way in which I chose to gain an increased knowledge of first generation
students was to read a book about them. The book was called First in the Family: Advice about
College from First-Generation Students by Kathleen Cushman (2006). This book contains ideas
and advice for first-generation students by first-generation students. It was written in order to
help encourage first-generation students in their transition to college. The students each talked
about their arrival to campus. Most of them felt out of place and like they did not belong. It was
a culture shock for them to come from a different campus culture, different city, and even
language used at home. The author also discussed the fact that the type of culture the student
grew up in can have an impact on family support. The level of family involvement can depend

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highly on the culture of the family. This can in turn make the adjustment to college easier or
harder. As I learned previously, family involvement can be a large indicator of student success in
college. Nevertheless, all of this information helped me to understand more of what firstgeneration students go through. It is hard enough entering college let alone feeling like you do
not belong. I enjoyed reading what the students had to say because it helped me to sympathize
more. It has made me realize more of what first-generation students go through when first
arriving on campus.
The third activity in this objective consisted of interviewing a student affairs professional
who mentors first-generation students in order to gain more knowledge of how to help them.
Because of time I ended up interviewing a graduate assistant who mentors first-generation
students. The individual I interviewed was Heather Trax and she gave me a lot of great tips and
information for supporting first-generation students. Ms. Trax even showed me the first year
topic guide for mentoring that is used by APU. One of the main challenges that first-generation
students face is not even knowing or understanding they are a first-generation student. This
caught my attention because I had never thought about it this way before. It makes sense that
most first-generation students will not know they are first-generation or that there are particular
resources for them.
She also told me it is important to not assume that the experiences of each firstgeneration student are the same as the next. They may all have very different experiences, but
they need help and encourage in order to navigate academics and social life effectively in
college. When asked about the best way to involve parents of first-generation students she said
to make sure the parents know to attend orientation, are communicated with about the time
commitment that college brings, and that it will be a learn-as-you-go experience for both

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students and parents. The biggest piece of advice she gives to first-generation students is:
college will not be as hard as you imagined and you will be able to do it when you get there.
The goal of objective #3 was to develop multicultural skills to work more effectively with
first-generation students. Because this is the final goal it was important to me that I show my
gained understanding of first-generation students and know how to use practical tools. The three
parts of this objective included assessing my skill level in understanding and working with firstgeneration students, watching a video on how to advocate for first-generation students, and
evaluate a campus program from the point of view of a first-generation student. This objective
put me to the test and I soon realized that I now have better skills to work with first-generation
students. I see the importance of seeking out first-generation students and being even more
intentional with them because they may not feel confident enough to do so on their own.
After going through these action plan objectives I have learned a lot about firstgeneration students. I really think I understand a lot more about first-generation students and
what transitioning to college is like for them. There is still a lot I would like to learn and I think I
will continue on this road of understanding first-generation students. I think my skill level is at
proficient as far as working with first-generation students. I understand more about how family
background is a huge role in their transition and about how much support they need from staff
and faculty when first arriving at college.
For the next part of Objective 3 I watched a video about how to advocate for firstgeneration students. This video was titled Strategies for Advocacy with First-Generation
College Students. It was developed by student affairs professionals to equip staff and faculty
who work directly with first-generation students. The video first explained what most firstgeneration students experience when entering college. They feel lost, overwhelmed, unprepared,

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isolated, shy, and pressured. These students need support and direction to resources provided by
the institution including staff and faculty members.
Discussed in the video were practical tips for faculty and staff in supporting these
students. First, it is important to get students access right away to the right resources. While
resources are valuable encouraging the student to get involved on campus is equally important to
his or her success. Also, it is vital that these students make connections right away so asking
them directly come see you or taking the time to help them can make a huge impact on their
transition. Overall, this video helped give me ways I can realistically help first-generation
students in their transition to college. Seeking them out is a large part of it because they may be
too intimidated to make office hour appointments. Assisting them in making connections is also
another way to help them.
The last part of this objective was for me to evaluate a campus program from the point of
view of a first-generation student. For this I chose to evaluate an intramural volleyball game.
The first thing I thought about is I would wonder why it is such a huge ordeal. Sports are fun,
but I do not fully understand why students want to play volleyball so late at night when they
could be studying. I guess it is what people mean when they say you should get involved in
college. I also wondered what the end goal of playing volleyball was. Why have these sports if
its not to further the title of the school because it is only students playing against students. I
think I get that first-generation students would have no concept of the importance or need for
intramural sports because their parents never knew. I knew about intramural sports because my
parents both told me how I needed to play them in order to get involved and meet people.
Coming from the point of view of a first-generation student I would understand that they do not
understand to be involved in this type of activity.

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When I think about the term first-generation lack of privilege comes to mind. Students
who are 2nd, 3rd, etc generational students are privileged in that they have a better idea of college
and can gain from its resources quicker. Their parents are able to encourage them better because
they understand the college system as well. Because of this we can unknowingly treat firstgeneration students differently. This can take place because they are usually unaware of
available resources. These resources may be available to everyone, but not everyone is aware
that they exist. In the midst of this first-generation students can feel pushed to the background
because they do not feel like they belong. Or they do not speak up because those who know
intimidate them. In the book by Johnson (2006) he suggests that our misconception about
privilege involves the idea that we think it belongs to the individual. It actually involves the
campus community as a whole and can divide first-generation and nonfirst-generation students.
My next step, or stage II, is to mentor a first-generation student myself. I believe it
would be a great beginning experience for me and it would benefit the first-generation student as
well. A freshman first-generation student is my first choice because I want to mentor a student
coming into college for the first time. It would be even better if I could mentor the student for all
four years of their undergraduate experience. Thinking about this makes me excited to invest in
and guide a first-generation student through her college experience.
My experiences in this action plan will follow me into my career in higher education.
Learning about first-generation students has helped me understand that they come from every
background and family experience. A lot of what factors the experiences of a first-generation
student has to do with his or her cultural background. In order to fully understand firstgeneration students I need to understand the different types of families and cultures they can
possibly come from. Because family is such an important part of the college experience of a

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first-generation student, as I experienced, I believe it is important for me to understand whatever

culture or background the student comes from in order to better relate to and help their family.
At first the idea of completing an action plan for a student population seemed daunting.
The overall idea scared me because I knew it would be a lot of work. After working on this
action plan and finally finishing it I can see that I have learned a lot. I have grown immensely in
my knowledge of first-generation students and some of the hardships they face. I believe I am
much more confident in being able to help them because I not only understand more, but also
have ideas of ways to help them. Now that this project is complete I see the great value I have
gained from it. I am thankful to be able to go through the experiences in this process and learn
from first-generation students. They have a great need and I want to continue to help them in
that need.

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References

Cushman, K. First in the Family: Your College Years, Advice about College from
First-generation Students. Providence, RI: Next Generation, 2006. Print.
McCarron, G. P., and Inkelas, K. K. (2006). The gap between educational aspirations and
attainment for first-generation college students and the role of parental involvement.
Journal of college student development, 47(5), 534-549. doi: 10.1353/csd.2006.0059
Johnson, A. G. Privilege, Power, and Difference. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Print.