Part 3- First Generation College Student: Nicholas Palmer
- Nigel Palmer
- Feb 11, 2017
- 2 min read
The thought of going somewhere on your own can be nerve wrecking yet exciting, especially when that place is college.
Nicholas Palmer graduated high school in May 2014, eager to attend Xavier University of Louisiana. He anticipated all the struggles that he would face when he got to his chosen school. And Palmer wrote down solutions that would overcome any obstacle . When August approached, he moved in with his Xavier apparel and was happy to start his journey on becoming an accountant.
The next year, he withdrew from the university, moved back home, and began to prepare to enlist in the Air Force as a way to assist with the cost of college. "We have a tuition assistance program, which will pay for up to $4,500 in tuition for the recruit," said Dave Leedom, adviser for the Air Force Reserves.
For every first generation college students who attends a four-year program and receive a bachelor's degree, there are twice as many who take a break or drop out from school. "We try to get to the root cause of the drop to ensure that the student is set up for success moving forward," said Larry Murphy, director of KIPP Through College (KTC). Palmer's anticipated struggles weren’t the problem. The problem was one of his motives to succeed- family.
“My family expected a lot out of me. On top of the school work, I had every single person in my family counting on me to make it, which drove me insane,” Palmer said. “The load of school work was hard and making my
family proud added to the stress level.”
Even parents who are supportive of their child’s education may not know the difference in the workload between high school versus college.
Nearly one-third of students entering two or four year colleges in the United States are first-generation. They are more likely to be a minority and less likely to graduate compared to their peers whose parents attended college.
Being a first-generation student is difficult. Every student is a bright student with plans to make the future better for their families but unexpected obstacles appear which slows down the goals they wish to accomplish. There are students who aspire to change the stigmas on first-generation college students, students who are currently winning their battle against them, the ones who have fell victim to it.
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