Maria Garcia-Castaneda is a first-generation student in the School of Social Work at Colorado State University. In 2019 Garcia-Castaneda realized that she loves helping out her community but wasn’t aware of social work until she began to apply to colleges. She loves the hands-on environment social work provides. Social work has taught her that wanting to help people doesn’t mean she has to change the whole world; it means being able to change one person’s world and still making an impact.
What does it mean to you to be a first-generation college student?
Being a first-generation student means making my parents’ sacrifices worthwhile. I am the oldest sibling in my family. Creating a paved path for my siblings is important to me because of the struggles that I had to face independently to get where I am. My parents came with nothing but hopes and dreams in order to give me everything.
What would you tell other first-generation students? What advice would you share?
Enjoy life to the fullest. These next few years go flying by and you learn so much about yourself. From what you want to study, to the lifestyle that will fit you, to what you will tolerate from people. Do something that will make YOU proud. Do something YOU are passionate about. Do something YOU want. Sometimes being a first-generation student involves what others want for you, but always remember that it is YOUR future.
What comes to mind when you hear the words “first-generation student?”
Hearing “first-generation college student” makes me feel so proud of how far I have come. There were times I thought I was not going to make it. It reminds me of mi hermanito y mi hermanita (my younger brother and my younger sister), mis tias (my aunts) in Mexico, mis primas en (my cousins in) Illinois, Bobby my neighbor, mis tios, mis abulelitos (my uncles, my grandparents), and especially mis papas (my parents), Angel and Maria. I think of all the advice and all the encouragement. From learning English in 2nd grade, to moving to a new city, all in order for me to get here, a Mexican woman working towards a bachelor’s in social work.
The School of Social Work is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
