Edgar's Story

Edgar shares his story while he is a senior in Math Education.

What Edgar Shares

First, let me share that I am a husband, a father, and a first generation student. In the beginning, I had no idea how college worked. My first attempt at college consisted of attending an orientation session at a 4-year school. That's it. That day, I was so frightened and lacked confidence that I withdrew and chose to work instead. My brother encouraged me to attend a community college and I finally started to get the hang of higher education. I completed my AA and transferred to Long Beach. This was a whole different college system to learn and my insecurities came flooding back. My wife and daughter have always been my greatest support and motivation and they encouraged me to seek out campus resources. These resources and support systems are what’s making it possible for me to graduate and they help me every day to be the best husband, father, and son I can be. For other first generation students, my best advice is to find support from your family, campus resources, classmates, and professors. You have to believe in yourself, be strong enough to ask for help and know that you are never alone.