FEATURE
Lauren Davila
Our parents can’t help us. There’s really nobody to relate to. Experiencing Pepperdine firsthand was the best way to do it.
Lauren Chong Amoni Henderson
—AMONI HENDERSON According to Kalinkewicz, first-generation students bring firsthand, experiential insight to areas within the University that could become more streamlined, accessible, and straightforward. “They are determined and resilient, and their adaptability is well suited to the college environment,” she explains. “Many of them feel empowered by all they have accomplished, and they use their experiences navigating challenges and new environments to become vocal champions for change.” Beyond acquainting them with the University’s campus community prior to New Student Orientation, PSP creates a space for participating students to build relationships with their peers, as well as mentors who have gone through the program. “We wanted students to feel comfortable on campus,” explains Carter. “You can say it through an e-mail, you can say it over a phone call, but getting students on campus to experience that firsthand and know that we care about them succeeding at Pepperdine has been the most significant outcome.” Seaver first-year student Lauren Chong admits to feeling like a fish out of water when she learned of her acceptance to Pepperdine. Although neither of her parents attended a four-year university, they instilled in her the value of higher education and encouraged her to build a strong academic foundation. Her father, a Cuban refugee who arrived to the U.S. as a child, grew up in a household that emphasized hard work and ensured his children applied that same work ethic to their education.
18
Though she had the support of her family, she encountered an extra hurdle when it came time to navigate the experience. “I didn’t know how classes worked in college and couldn’t turn to my parents for suggestions on the four-year plan,” she says. “How it all works, internships, all these aspects that play into my future … I had to go out on campus and find the answers to all my questions.” Carter explains that a lack of social capital—knowledge about norms and unspoken rules that is missing due to one’s social environment, status, or upbringing— is one of the most significant challenges that first-generation students face when entering the university system. In comparison to their peers whose parents attended college, she says, “Those students come in and encounter an extra step in learning what the college experience should be.” One of the ways the PSP combats this is by introducing incoming first-generation students to current students who can give them insight into questions like, “What are some things I wish I knew when I first came to college?” With three cohorts having already proceeded through the PSP program, the new crop of first-generation students benefit from the support of the upperclassmen who have experienced the unique challenges and opportunities that this particular population faces. Seaver first-year student Amoni Henderson is familiar with this phenomenon. “We felt like we established close bonds and had friends when we came in,” he says. “It didn’t feel like a completely new experience coming in without knowing anybody. We
Fall 2013
were comfortable when we got here as opposed to just coming and being thrown right into it, because we met some faculty members, students, and got to know the school and how to get around. “Our parents can’t help us. There’s really nobody to relate to. Coming in and experiencing Pepperdine firsthand before school started was the best way to do it.” Henderson, a Church of Christ member who chose Pepperdine for its small class sizes and appealing student-to-teacher ratio, was not even aware of his first-generation status until he arrived at Pepperdine and was contacted by Seaver Admission. His father skipped college to join musician MC Hammer on tour and his mother was a stayat-home mom who raised Henderson and his siblings. Though he was never pressured by his parents to be the first in his family to go to college, he knew his future was in his hands and that college was a natural next step towards a future in comedy, his ultimate pursuit. Due to the financial demands of applying to and attending college, Henderson applied for the Gates Millennium Scholarship, a leadership-based grant given to minority students with financial need. “I really had to decide what I wanted with my life as a whole,” he explains. “One of the most important things to me about college is building relationships and building my convictions as a disciple. It never really became an option until I got my scholarship. There was no way.” For first-year Lauren Davila, the prospect of studying abroad was one that seemed