Undergraduate Student Spotlight
First-Gen Story from A Posse Scholar Teresa Miguel
“Being a first-generation means I have opportunities and experiences I’ve never had before, a newfound community for a lifetime, knowledge and understanding of systems, and access to new things. Being a first-generation means I’m bringing my knowledge back to my community, to my family, and moving forward with them.”
- Teresa Miguel, (Sargent '25)
To recognize First-Generation College Celebration Day, BU Today asked Posse scholar Teresa Miguel to share her story. She shares her journey from rural Georgia to urban Boston. Knowing that she got into Boston University, she felt “happy, proud, and guilty” at the same time. After meeting many first-gen students through several events, she became confident to introduce herself, “My name is Teresa Miguel, a first-generation and low-income student here at Boston University.”
Valerie’s Summer with The Providence Justice Fellowship
“The Providence Justice Fellowship through the BU Initiative on Cities (IOC) was a really informative experience that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to complete. As a junior pursuing law as my eventual career, this aspect of justice drew me in when I saw the fellowship posted.”
- Valerie Sanchez Covaleda (CAS/CGS ’24)
A first-generation student, Valerie, had an opportunity to participate in BU Initiative on Cities (IOC), particularly at the City of Providence Office of Sustainability. She developed several skills, specifically project management skills, and also improved her communication skills when contacting so many different people. This opportunity also led her to gain a lot of new knowledge about environmental issues, as well as about how justice and inequality tie into that.
5 Tips for First-gen College Students
"College is hard enough to navigate already, but especially as a first-gen student. Don’t worry, you’re not alone."
- Katarina Quach (COM’24)
Kat came to Boston University from Seattle, Washington, which means being at BU puts her quite a ways from home. As a junior in COM majoring in Public Relations and as an employee at Newbury Center on campus, she wrote 5 (five) important tips for first-generation college students.
Brianna Bourne’s Journey from Mattapan to Latin Academy to Comm Ave
“I’ve learned over time that asking for help is better than struggling by yourself.”
I was born in Dorchester and when I was about three or four we moved to Mattapan. I went to Boston Public Schools, and I went to Boston Latin Academy from 7th until 12th grade. My parents came here from Jamaica. They didn’t go to college. My mom works at a bank and my dad works at the post office. At Boston Latin Academy, the teachers would say, ‘Oh, yeah, once you get to college…’ It was never like, ‘Oh, if I go, it’s when I go.’
Brianna Bourne (CAS’24), from Boston, psychology major and Student Staff at the Newbury Center