My name is Elizabeth Ramirez, I am from Wichita, KS. I went to Wichita State University for my Bachelors and my Masters, and I now work at the Neighboring Movement. I am the program director for the Community Animator Network program. 

What advice do you have for other first-gen students? 

So, I would say to connect with other support groups, like Somos First-Gen would have been very helpful. Because sharing knowledge and sharing stories and experiences would have been very valuable, especially as a first-gen student. Also, I wish someone would have told me sooner to get involved, academically, whether that is I find a good advisor that I trust and meet with them regularly and build a relationship with them. Also, finding a professor, because I wanted to go into higher education, so finding a professor in my field to meet with and ask questions about career advice, school advice, and even opportunities that exist. I really think that a shared space like Somos First-Gen, and also like McNair Scholars program at Wichita State University, is meant to help students like us move into higher ed, and in those spaces it really tells you how to do things that you may not know how to do, like applying for scholarships or the experiences that we need to be seeking. Those I think would be valuable things that the sooner you can start that, the better. So if you are in high school, and you can do some of these things while you are in high school, it gets you more involved. You can start to understand the terms that are important when you are going to get ready to go to college or go into a masters program.

How can students find resources to help them? 

I think the best way is honestly making friendships, making relationships. Kind of like the things I talked about, meeting with people that are in similar spaces as you, and people that you look up to and building those relationships because a lot of times resources you don’t know about because you are not in the spaces. So for like a lot of first-gen, like myself, at home we didn’t talk about those things. My parents didn’t know about the existing opportunities that were out there that were really cool for a student to get involved in and put them ahead. So I think honestly, it is making relationships with people your age, and also people that you look up to that are older. And putting yourself in spots where you think ‘I would like to be more like that person’, kind of like seeking a mentorship. 

What motivated you to pursue a higher education?  

That’s a tough one! Because I honestly didn't know I needed to get a masters, or that I was going to do higher education until that I was in the spaces that I have been sharing.  I think the thing that motivated me the most when I was in college and I was thinking about even pursing higher things, was that I wanted to help my family go up the economic ladder. And education was the number one avenue that would help me do that. There was a lot of things, but that was honestly like the main one. Figuring out how to create  a life for myself that wouldn't be so stressful all the time, and I could bring my family along with me so that they would not have to struggle like I had seen them struggle before. 

What was the biggest obstacle you overcame in your pursuit for higher education? 

I think experience. Like getting experience is really important. I think surrounding myself with those people that I mentioned, that is what helped me overcome and being able to be talking to my teacher or my advisor about the things I wanted to do and they were like ‘Oh my gosh I heard that there is an awesome opportunity that you could apply for out in the community, I can put your name in’. That helped me. Without that, I wouldn't have been able to come this far.

Is there anything else you would like to say? 

McNair’s scholars program at Wichita State is awesome, Somos First-Gen is amazing, and if you want more opportunities, the Neighboring Movement has some really cool things too!