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Welcome to first gen 1 0 1. The podcast or first-generation graduates share their stories and career tips. I am your host, Miguel Sanchez. In this episode. Jeffrey. recounts hits journey from balancing work and school to navigating college. As a first-generation student, his story is a Testament to the power of determination. Listen in for motivation and practical advice on overcoming challenges.

Miguel Sanchez : 0:41

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the first gen one on one podcast, Let's get right into it. Jeffrey, tell me about your background. How was the process of going to college for you?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 0:52

Sure. So, I'm a first generation Guatemalan American, also first generation to go to college in my family. I'm the oldest of three siblings I have a younger brother and sister. My background was I come from parents who didn't graduate high school. Very hard workers, very good, respectful people. So they taught me a lot of humility, especially considering our situation. They definitely supported my education because they didn't really have the opportunity to do it themselves. So they're like, you know, we, we came here to give you a better life. We want you to work hard, you know, make good money in the future and not have to worry about the struggles that they went through financially. With college for me. I don't know if it's the typical story, but I started off at community college. And so, uh, for many of my cohorts and I, it was kind of considered the 13th grade. We saw a lot of the people we went to high school with, It was, Tricky to navigate because there's a lot of things we're doing for the first time between myself and my family, like the FAFSA, like how to talk to the different resources on campus for admissions, in those times, and I graduated high school in 2009, they had, you know, some Spanish forms, but when we were there, they didn't really have people who spoke Spanish, so it's not like my parents could directly communicate with them. kind of had to be like the translator between the school and my parents and. were things that loosely I didn't really know what the translation was because there's like higher education terminology, right? Like certain things that are form related or anything like that. So it was a, uh, it was a tricky balance, but with a lot of patience and not giving up because I wanted to go to college. We got through it.

Miguel Sanchez : 2:29

Jeffrey, you mentioned something that I used to hear. In high school and, the 13th grade, community college as a 13th grade. I went to a community college to me going to community college was, I was just so grateful of having that experience. And, and we see how those perspectives don't even align. Sometimes some people look down on it. We were very grateful to even go to college. So I'm glad you brought that up. Where did you attend community college?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 2:56

Sure. I went to Westchester Community College

Miguel Sanchez : 2:58

And from there, did you go straight into, Purchase College? What was that transition like?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 3:04

One of the things that I ended up doing is I ended up earning two associate degrees because I just kept taking classes, not knowing what I wanted to do. I, was blessed enough with some academic capabilities, where I didn't necessarily struggle in classes, but I really had no direction. And, you know, some folks, when, uh, for example, my fiance, her mother and grandmother are nurses, she's a nurse now. Right. So there's that kind of lineage or you know, we're a family of X, Y, Z. I didn't really have that. So I studied philosophy, engineering, trying to see what stuck. And then eventually through philosophy and psychology, I landed at Purchase and decided to go there.

Miguel Sanchez : 3:43

And in the process of going to college, did you visit colleges? Did you have a list of colleges you applied to? How did you decide that Purchase was your next step?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 3:54

Absolutely. So I would say two things, location and finances were my main priorities. I live in Porchester, so Purchase is like 10 minutes. Great commute for work, but also W. C. C. Was only like 15 20 minutes away from home as well. I intentionally picked those places, especially W. C. C. In high school, because I was thinking to myself, I don't know my parents are actually going to be able to pay to call. Pay college, right? Like financially, it was great. It covered pretty much everything, which is fantastic. But at the time, I'm like, I can't go to some of these four year private schools that my cohorts are going to, and I'm going to save my family money and myself, too, because I worked throughout the entire time I was a college. So I was very much like a, I'll do what I have to. Maybe the name of my resume won't be the best, but I'll get that degree and make something out of myself.

Miguel Sanchez : 4:43

you mentioned your parents a few times. What was their reaction when you told them, you were going to college? And, what was their advice to you about going to college?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 4:53

Yeah, so their reaction was definitely a supportive and happy they were so proud because I was the first of my siblings to go to college being the oldest, they really helped me to get into a position, that they couldn't my father and my mother both had 2 jobs while we were growing up so they were so happy and they're like, you know what, you're still working, Bills to pay, but we, we got you if we can help you out financially, if you need something, I didn't have a car. So they would drive and pick me up from school, which really helpful. I would also take the bus, but there would be like certain situations where they would be able to help me out. It was a very supportive atmosphere, which is great because it wasn't something that they had necessarily empathy for. But they still had a love, a lot of love and support to give me in that endeavor and say, you know, we're here for you. Maybe we don't understand exactly every step you're going to take, but we're with you every step of the way.

Miguel Sanchez : 5:40

you worked during college. What did you do? What did you work in when you were in college?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 5:45

Sure. So it was a lot of retail and service. I did things like, being in pharmacies and some local mom and pop shops. I worked for some time in Greenwich in a woman's clothing store. A lot of the jobs I ended up Getting either through my father or connections because I didn't have a resume, but I, I worked all through college it was about making good connections and being presentable. My dad would say, you know what, I know someone who's looking to hire someone. He would introduce us. I do the interview, no resume. They would see that I was polite, positive, that I, you know, ask questions, could take direction. Well, and that was enough to get me in. So he kind of taught me networking before I knew what networking was, which was great. It's just really making connections with people and seeing, you know, can you help them? Can they help you and not missing opportunities? That was a big thing.

Miguel Sanchez : 6:31

Jeffrey, I'm glad you bring in these topics because you work in career services and I know you help students I once heard, that often employers don't necessarily always hire skills. They hire values. And, other traits that are not in the resume, and you mentioned that perhaps your resume was not where you want it to be at the time, but you definitely had a support system primarily from your father, who taught you those values. You mentioned you're going to Purchase College. What was eventually your major? How did you choose a major? What was that process like?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 7:02

So at WCC, I think one of my associates was in philosophy and the other was just a general one. I wanted to continue philosophy. When I got to purchase, I decided, I would take a mix of psychology and philosophy. I decided on the psych major, because I didn't like the options to work in philosophy. I was told pretty much I can go into law. Or I could be a professor. Neither of those two are really interesting to me. So I decided, okay, I really like people and I want to see how I can solve some problems. So I stuck with psychology. It was great. Again, have a resume until my junior year of college, where I went to career development because my family was like, Hey, you know, maybe an internship might be good for you. So I went into the office and I've told my colleagues this who I now work with, which is great. But at the time I was really intimidated. Because I didn't have a resume, I didn't know how they were going to receive me there's always that, self comparison when you see how other people are doing, and you're not at that stage. So I was like, I don't know the kind of students they expect to come in through the door. I just know I don't have a resume and I need an internship. I got a great counselor who is still my colleague. Her name is Jessica. Very bubbly and friendly. So I was like, Oh, thank you, God. I got someone who's really nice because I didn't have enough to fill a page, even though I had multiple jobs because I didn't know what I was doing.

Miguel Sanchez : 8:17

Interestingly, finding help. It's one of the major obstacles. First generation graduates, face or first generation students are facing right now other than your colleague, Jessica, who you mentioned, were there any other mentors, professors who guided you along the way as you were going to college?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 8:41

Absolutely. A few of them still teach here today. I connected with one thing and I'm so glad you touched on this topic. I want to mention to anyone listening especially as a first gen. For some reason, I'm I adopted the mindset that I had to do everything on my own, that it was up to me to achieve my own success, which is true to a point. But I was like, you know, why am I going to go to like office hours? Um, doesn't that defeat the purpose of me paying attention to class, taking notes and like doing my own work again, totally foolish, but for some reason, having to do most of the college experience on my own, made sense to me. So then. I started to stay after class, talk to my professors. Most of it wasn't even like specific question. It was just like, I found this topic really interesting and they would always be welcome to chat with me for a bit. So as someone who is a commuter throughout my entire college career, it helped me a lot because I didn't really have too much engagement. Being a commuter is tough. You don't know half of what's going on because you don't live on campus, especially if you're working. Most of the time, you're just like a go student in and then out of class. So professors who really took the time, not say, okay, I got to go. Like, this is great and all, but really took the time to say like, I'm so glad, like you're asking these questions that you're interested in this material and I'm happy to teach you I thought that was very helpful for me.

Miguel Sanchez : 9:58

it's really important that you connect with professors. other staff in your college because they also know other people. So it's a good way of building your network. Your network's not going to just fall on your lap. You need to pursue it. And as Jeffrey commented, professors are a great way to get that started. Even if you've knew or you're intimidated, make sure you connect with at least one professor you don't know where that can lead. Speaking of networking, I want to, Touch on you getting your first job. You talked about your internship, getting that resume done. What was the process of getting your first job?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 10:36

for my 1st internship, it was actually at this career development center here at Purchase College. That same colleague, Jessica, said, by the way, we have an internship here in case you're interested. As a psych major, I was interested in things like marriage and family therapy, maybe psychiatry, things like that, just generally mental health and wanted to help people. So I applied to the internship as well as a few others. I remember in the interview. I think what really helped me was I had such a positive impression of this office where I felt like I was talking to professionals who were here to serve the college, serve the students. It was a pleasant conversation. Thankfully they didn't give me the cold treatment where it's very intimidating and I'm shaking in my boots. I actually had the opportunity to make them laugh a few times during the interview, which is a great tip for anyone listening. If you can make the person smile or laugh, it's going to go pretty well for you in most cases.

Miguel Sanchez : 11:27

What would you say are some of the biggest challenges for first gen students as they start thinking about their careers?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 11:35

Yes, so I think something that's a challenge for them is to really see The opportunity of college as a way to build their careers and to turn into the professionals they want to be. Enough of them have that ambition or have shaped that ambition to know what that is, which is why internships are so important to get that experience. See what you like and what you don't like. But I think that many times students will sit down, take the classes and just know like, hey, at the end of this magically I get a job. But it's like, you know, There's so many different students out there in this world, not just in this country that have similar degrees somewhat similar academic backgrounds, but what sets them apart is those additional skill building opportunities like internships, maybe volunteering, or even just networking, like shadowing, informational interviews, ways to really put themselves out there. And like you said, skills can be taught. So, you know, these classes, someone else can go to the same class and get the same major as you, but. show people that you have the potential, even if it's your first experience, or if you are someone who has taken the time to do some research, take some opportunities to build you into those areas, I think that that's where people tend to do well. And the problem is for first gen, most of the time, someone who's already gone through this process has figured this out, connecting with mentors or, listening to wonderful resources, such as this podcast where people can tell you. Here are the mistakes I made. Don't do that. Repeat my success in your own way. That's a good way to save yourself time and a headache, because if I could go back and tell myself, listen, this is what you did, didn't work out, do this instead, that would be a godsend because I really had to do trial and error. That was a lot of my experience.

Miguel Sanchez : 13:14

knowing what you know now, what are some of the things you wish you would have known that would have made you a much stronger student?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 13:21

I think just knowing that it's okay to ask for help is definitely a big thing for sure. Whether it be, office hours for my professors, or, you know, things like the learning center, other places on campus, you can definitely take the time to get help. At the end of the day, even though I was busy working and other things, It's more or less an excuse, right? Because you can always make the time to do it. I think that deep down, everyone has to be honest with themselves if they really want to be successful, because you can make it work. I have non traditional students, folks who have kids, families, they're doing internships, they really want to go ahead. And I admire that because at the end of the day, I didn't necessarily have those and I could see where they may have in other areas. I didn't. So it would be that access resources. Don't be dumb. Ask for help. Like, for sure. Whether it's a prideful thing, whether it's just a misguided notion because you had to do everything yourself for so long. Look for that help. Additionally, have a plan. Because it's not like you have to have everything figured out, but if you don't have the steps to even just find what it is you want to do, you're going to be stuck in a job where you want to be there, but it just was the option available to you because you didn't take the time to set you up for more opportunities. And then lastly, network. This is something I tell all students, especially first gen. You could be fantastic at what you do, but if nobody knows who you are, you're just another resume in the stack. Networking is so much better because you can build connections. People will know. And in many cases, even if that person themselves can offer you something, they have plenty of colleagues or connections in the industry. And they say, you know what? I mentored this wonderful student. I, unfortunately, if I could, I'd hire them, but I know you're looking. I'd love to connect you to that. That can happen, right?

Miguel Sanchez : 15:10

you also completed a graduate degree. What was that process like? Was that process less intimidating, more intimidating? What was the process of going to grad school?

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 15:20

Thankfully, having gone through college, the grad school process is similar in many ways, just a bit beefed up. You take the G. R. E. instead of the S. A. T. things like that. Not as much financial aid, unfortunately. But what really helps me to not be as intimidated and 100 percent transparency here. With our office, we work with alumni. I think our policy is like 2 or 3 years out. I was in this office on a regular basis checking about my application, and my previous colleague was no longer here. I would be like a frequent flyer because I wanted to make sure I was doing things right. I learned from my mistakes, which was, you know, trial and error. If it works out great. If not, I try the next thing. This is time. This is money. This is a big decision. I need to really, Make sure I'm not procrastinating or making excuses. This is what I want. I have to work hard for it. So that was the change for me. That was the experience. And having gone through college, I was much more mature because maybe some of my challenges were for a sense of immaturity because I came a little bit late into it with like, okay, now you have to adopt a professional mindset. This is what you need to do. I was catching up, so I think that by that point, thankfully it was much easier. Because I had figured out what I wanted to do, which is career counseling through the internship, knew that this is what I was put here to do. So I think that because of that, it really motivated me as opposed to like, an associate's is something I'll get along the way to go to my four year school or now that I'm in the four year school, but I have to take classes I don't really care about. It's like everything was working towards. And I have loans for this, right? So this is a job I chose so I'm happy to be here and I'm truly blessed despite the headaches along the way.

Miguel Sanchez : 17:00

And so to close, Jeffrey, what would you, if there's anything else you want to add, what else would you, Want to communicate to our listeners today.

Jeffrey Arroyo (Purchase College): 17:10

Absolutely. So, for starters, I want to say, thank you Miguel, for having me on here. If you're listening to this podcast, you're already moving in the right direction because you're looking for information. You're looking to see how you can learn and adapt to your present situation, make things better for you. I want to leave you all with just try to reach out to people. Get the best of your opportunity and whether it's financial aid, like in my case, or, out of your own pocket, you're paying for school. Definitely. Don't just think of this as a degree factory. You're in and out. Like, this is part of your life. Make some good connections and make it meaningful for you because time doesn't move backwards. We're only moving forward. So you have a lot of good folks on campus. Let them do their jobs. Same with any campus you're on, or if you're thinking about going to college, there should be people that are there to help you.

Miguel Sanchez : 17:57

Jeffrey, I think I'm may have to call purchase career services myself and seek some advice thank you, Jeffrey. Thank you for your advice. Thank you for sharing your story with us. we'll see you on the next one.

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