“I am in awe of you—of what it means to carry the hopes, dreams, expectations, and life savings of generations of your family on your shoulders. To come here bravely, to flourish, to find the ways to—through hard work, discipline, and courage—make such a difference in the world,” Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham, said to the students in a video message. “And I also want to share with you incredible gratitude to your families, for the kind of hard work, courage, and generations of striving it takes to get you to this place.” 

In the Company of Mario Gabelli and Denzel Washington

Students from both campuses were honored at the third annual celebration, where they received “I’m First” pins to wear on their robes at Commencement. In just one week, they will join the ranks of alumni like finance mogul Mario Gabelli and award-winning actor Denzel Washington, who were first-generation college students themselves, said President Tetlow.  

First-Gen Senior Reflects on Fordham

Among this year’s graduating seniors is Juan Rodriguez, who was born and raised in the Bronx. His father, a former construction worker, attended school until sixth grade in his native Ecuador. His mother, who served food at shelters and homes for the elderly, attended school until third grade in the Dominican Republic. 

“They don’t entirely understand the concept of college, but they understand the value of a degree. They’re happy for me, and they know it’s something impactful and meaningful that I can leverage in my life,” said Rodriguez, a finance student at the Gabelli School of Business who will be the first among his three siblings to graduate from college.  

Paving the Way with Mentorship and Industry Knowledge

Rodriguez said that Fordham has given him opportunities, including a finance internship, thanks to the Gabelli Personal and Professional Development Center; a community in the student wrestling club; and mentorship from many advisors, including Marisa Villani, senior assistant dean for undergraduate studies at Gabelli; Elizabeth Parr, assistant dean for first-year students at Gabelli, and Maria Totino, senior executive secretary in the modern languages and literatures department. 

After graduation, he will work as an operations associate at Zeta Charter Schools in New York City, where he will work on budgeting, funding, and building maintenance. 

“A lot of people helped pave the way for me,” said Rodriguez, a student in the Higher Education Opportunity Program who commuted to campus for three years. “As a first-generation college student, I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about certain industries. It helped to have the backbone of the Fordham community.”

The first-generation college student graduation celebration was sponsored by First Gen Network; the dean’s offices of the Gabelli School of Business, Fordham College at Rose Hill, and Fordham College at Lincoln Center; the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer; and Development and Alumni Relations. 

But Mejia said she couldn’t choose art as a career. A degree in the fine arts was too costly, especially for a first-generation college student with limited financial resources like herself. 

After exploring different options across the world, Mejia found a home at Fordham. Last February, she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, magna cum laude, from the School of Professional and Continuing Studies. This summer, she will complete her master’s degree in public media from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. 

“I’ve always been interested in media, especially since I started studying political science. This is public media, which is even better because I’ll be working for a good cause,” Mejia said. “And I can find a way to integrate the arts.” 

‘Art Was My Escape From Reality’ 

Mejia was born in Medellín, Colombia, in the early ’90s—one of the most dangerous periods in the country’s history. Her city was recovering from many years of internal conflict, especially drug trafficking, and it wasn’t easy to find jobs, said Mejia. When Mejia was a toddler, her mother made a difficult decision. 

“My mother, whom I deeply admire for her bravery, moved to the U.S. with her sister in the hopes of providing a brighter future for me and my sister. She worked several jobs, including as a waitress. She saw that this was the only way for her to support us,” said Mejia, who left her father, aunts, and grandparents in Colombia as a teenager to join her mother, whom she had lived apart from for most of her childhood. 

Mejia said she struggled to adjust to her new life. 

“We imagine New York as that little piece of Times Square that’s so brilliant, beautiful, and perfect, like Disneyland. Then you realize that there’s so much more. I first lived in the Bronx, which did not look exactly like what I had seen in the movies. I liked living in The Bronx, but it was a big cultural change for me,” Mejia said. “I would sit with my sketchbook and paint and draw. Art was my escape from reality.”

Her temporary escape became a permanent passion. As a student at Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day High School, she won a scholarship to study at the Art Students League of New York, one of the oldest independent art schools in the U.S. For two consecutive summers, she also participated in a program at the Museum of Modern Art, which featured her artwork. In addition, one of her paintings was selected as a first runner-up in a national high school art competition. 

“My painting was inspired by the Beatles song ‘Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.’ That song just made me so happy,” said Mejia, who submitted a painting of a woman with flowers in her hair to the 2011 Congressional Art Competition. “My painting reflected this moment in high school when I was starting to learn English, make friends in New York, and feel like I was finally part of a community.”

A Reality Check 

But Mejia said she realized that a career in the arts wasn’t feasible. Everything about it was expensive, including fine arts school tuition and supplies, and she couldn’t afford the long-term investment. Instead, she spent years working in retail, saved money, and then returned to school. In 2018, she earned an associate’s degree in communication studies from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, while working a full-time job. 

“Communications studies is so broad that I thought it could lead back to the arts,” Mejia said.  

Over the next two years, her personal life took her across the world: to Sweden, where she studied political science at Stockholm University, and to Paris, where she continued her education at the Paris Institute of Political Studies until the pandemic. She returned to New York, where she found Fordham and completed her bachelor’s degree in political science. 

Mejia is now pursuing her master’s degree in public media so she can become the person she wishes she had when she was a young artist, she said. 

“What I’ve realized after living in New York City, Colombia, and around the world is there are so many scholarships and opportunities for artists, but so little information about them unless you are well-connected. There’s a lot of aid out there that’s not being marketed effectively. But people who work in public media can spread the word about these opportunities,” Mejia said. 

Mejia said she is considering becoming an immigration lawyer. Although she was able to become an American citizen, she saw many immigrants struggle to have a brighter future. She said she wants to be able to assist those who are chasing their dreams through academics, especially Dreamers. 

“It’s not about the diploma. It’s about the challenge and fulfillment that you feel along your journey,” Mejia said. “You are not alone. There are many students like you who are paving the road for others.”

Alvarado previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Cal State Los Angeles, the founding dean of the College of Education at California State University Monterey Bay, and associate dean of the College of Education at San Diego State University. He developed the Teacher Pathway Program, a partnership between California State University Monterey Bay and community colleges in the Salinas Valley region that educates underserved first-generation college students predominantly from diverse backgrounds. At the College of Education at California State University Monterey Bay, he also cultivated a diverse community of students and faculty; over 70% of new faculty hires were from diverse, underrepresented backgrounds.

At Fordham, Alvarado is responsible for setting and implementing the vision of GSE, which offers more than 40 master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs in nearly three dozen fields of study. 

In a Q&A with Fordham News, he spoke about his humble beginnings and how they shaped him into an educational leader. 

You had a challenging childhood. What lessons did you learn? 

I was born in the city of Mexicali, Mexico, which borders southeastern California. As my siblings and I progressed in school, my parents who worked as farm laborers, felt that it was time to immigrate and try to escape poverty. In the U.S., our family of six first lived in a one-room shack. We struggled, but there was always a sense of love and togetherness. My mother worked in citrus packing sheds, where she packed grapefruit, oranges, and lemons. My father worked all sorts of crops. I learned my work ethic from my parents, who tried so hard to do better for us children. But growing up, I realized that working hard wasn’t sufficient. As hard as my parents worked, we were still poor. And as I saw the struggles that my two brothers faced—one of them involved in gangs and substance abuse—I knew I needed to do something different.

What set you on a path toward college? 

In my junior year, I told my guidance counselor I wanted to go to college. She leaned back in her chair, looked at me, and said, ‘College is not for you. You should go to a trade school instead.’ My parents raised me to be respectful, so I didn’t say what I was thinking. But I thought, ‘You don’t know me. You don’t know what I’m capable of doing.’ I don’t believe anyone in my high school knew what I was capable of because they just saw another Mexican kid—a throwaway kid. 

My goal was to graduate from college, become a counselor, and take her job. I wasn’t prepared to attend a university because most of my high school experience was remedial. But in community college, I finally felt academically challenged. I fell in love with learning. And I realized that revenge wasn’t my motivator anymore. Whatever I became, I would be in a position to help others. 

You’ve lived and taught on the West Coast for a long time. What brought you to Fordham? 

I love teaching and working with students. But at this point in my career, I see my role as a facilitator: supporting the highest quality preparation for tomorrow’s educational leaders. I feel like I can make a greater impact by supporting the faculty who do that and the staff who support the programs. 

Fordham is an institution that lives by its values: a commitment to social justice, equity, human rights, and to serving underserved communities. I’ve lived my life professionally and personally in a way that aligns well with Fordham as an institution, and certainly the GSE. It felt right.

As dean of the Graduate School of Education, what are your main goals for the upcoming academic year? 

I am interested in engaging faculty and staff in strategic planning, increasing student enrollment, and diversifying our faculty and the students we serve. Research shows that students who are taught by teachers who reflect their ethnic and social backgrounds tend to do better academically. Having teachers who are well-prepared and experts in their field is necessary, no matter what. But when you also have teachers who also reflect the ethnic background and cultural experiences of their students, that’s an even better deal. 

How has being a first-generation college graduate changed your life? 

Education allowed me to break the cycle of poverty for myself and my children, who are both college graduates. They didn’t have to struggle the way our ancestors struggled. What I did is not just for me—it’s for every generation that comes afterwards. 

I wouldn’t be here without the help of so many people, especially my parents, Ignacio and Angela. They always supported me, even though they didn’t know quite what I was trying to do. We were really poor, but somehow my mother ended up with a credit card. The only reason she got it was to put gas in my car so I could drive to my community college. 

Being in education humbles you. You come to realize that people may not have a formal education, but that doesn’t mean they’re not smart. My father went to school until third grade, but he’s one of the smartest men I’ve ever known. He just never had the opportunity. Every day, I try to live up to his potential. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Those are just a few of the reasons why the Diversity Action Coalition at Rose Hill, part of United Student Government (USG), along with United Student Government at Lincoln Center and the deans’ offices at Fordham College of Rose Hill, Fordham College of Lincoln Center, and the Gabelli School of Business, organized a virtual First-Generation Celebration, held virtually on May 4.

Lifting Up All Voices

“Being part of USG means not only listening to our voices, but also celebrating and uplifting certain voices,” said Loreen Ruiz, a senior at Fordham College Lincoln Center and president of USG. “To my knowledge, this is the first time that there has been any kind of celebration that recognizes first-generation students specifically.”

More than 40 members of the Class of 2021 submitted photos and mini-bios that were featured at the event in a slideshow.

Camilla Gomez, a junior at Fordham College Rose Hill and co-chair of the Diversity Action Coalition, who helped organize the event, said that as a first-generation student herself, seeing the graduates was inspiring.

‘You Are All Agents of Change’

“You all are agents of change and justice for your own families, making generational changes, and growing that generational wealth, and that’s incredibly inspiring to see in all of you and I feel honored to be in your presence,” she said.

Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, said that the first-generation students hold a special place in the University’s heart and history, as well as for him personally, as his father was a first-generation college student.

“I look at you, I see my own father,” he said. “Like many of you, he was the first member of his family to go to college. Therefore, like many of you, he knew the awful and awesome responsibility that lay on his shoulders, for his entire family pinned their hopes on him. Through his achievements, they saw their own dreams come true.”

First-Gen Alumni Offer Support

The event featured three alumni speakers, all of whom were first-generation students, as well as games and prizes for participants.

Joy Tolliver, a 2004 graduate of Fordham College Rose Hill who majored in psychology and went on to get her J.D. at Rutgers University, told the students that the fact that they were able to make it through college, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, shows their resiliency.

“It really speaks volumes as to who you are—your resiliency, your persistence, and your determination to make it despite the odds against you,” she said. “I know the title of the event tonight is your experience as a first-gen student, but you’re more than that—you are trailblazers for your families and your communities.”

Luigi Fata, a 1991 graduate of the Gabelli School of Business, encouraged the students to use their stories and experiences to find their own “unique selling proposition.”

“Your experience as the first has to be what carries you and gives you that fuel, and that fire, energy, and passion to do what it is you want to do, because the others who don’t have that first-gen mindset are going to be up against expecting to get what they want,” he said. “We need to work harder for it to go after what we want.”

Michelle Hopson, a 2009 graduate from PCS, told the students to use their experiences to shape their future goals.

“Remember who your identities are and all the people who have come and worked hard for you and you’ve worked hard for them,” she said. “Don’t forget who you are, where you came from, and use that as an identity builder, not an identifier.”

She also encouraged the students to use the alumni network that Fordham offers to find mentors and support even after graduation so they don’t feel alone.

“If you ever need a mentor, just reach out and let us know—we’re here for you guys,” she said. “We’ll help and share what it takes to be successful.”

For Samantha Chavez-Rodriguez, an aspiring civil rights lawyer, the inspiration to study English at Fordham College at Lincoln Center came from a surprising place.

Chavez-Rodriguez, who “loves to read and write essays,” recalled a memorable day in her AP English language and composition course at Notre Dame High School in Salinas, California. Her teacher read a poem about nature and suddenly became emotional while reading it to the class.

“I’ve never met a teacher so passionate about teaching,” said Chavez-Rodriguez. “That stuck to me. I hope that I can have a job that I love so much that it brings me to tears.”

In the same class, Chavez-Rodriguez penned an essay on gender pay gaps; writing it inspired her interest in gender, race, and discrimination.

“I don’t think it’s fair that simply because someone is a woman or from a certain race, they are paid less,” she said. “That’s what mainly pushed me.”

When Chavez-Rodriguez wasn’t studying to get good marks in school, she was participating in countless student activities, from the student council to talent shows.

“I thought that if I got involved in various student activities, it would count for college” she said.

“I’m thankful that my parents went through as much as they did to get me to the point I’m at, but I also feel this obligation to them because my mom didn’t finish college.”

Chavez-Rodriguez said her work ethic was also driven by childhood memories of growing up in East Los Angeles, where her community was inundated with gangs, drugs, and poverty.

“I grew up seeing all of this. People didn’t expect much from my community, so it just motivated me that much more. Not only [did I want]to prove people wrong, but also to show that while the community you’re born in can affect you, if you have the will and a positive attitude about what you can achieve, you can accomplish it,” said Chavez-Rodriguez.

“Where you’re born and the circumstances that you’re born into doesn’t set the path for your future.”

Tim Cung: In pursuit of the American Dream

In his early teens, Tim Cung saw the movie Wall Street, and began watching films focused on the financial industry.

“The movies I saw had a lot of financial jargon, and I started to research the [terminology],” said Cung, a freshman at the Gabelli School of Business who grew up as an only child of immigrant parents.

His curiosity hit a peak when his high school, Brooklyn Tech, began offering finance as a pre-college major. He took courses in accounting, finance, and enrolled in AP economics—which was, coincidentally, taught by an instructor who once worked on Wall Street.

“Before I took AP economics, I thought [economics]was all about money,” he said. “But it’s actually about resources, and how to allocate them effectively.”

Now, Cung is the first person in his family to attend college, where he plans to study finance.

Cung said his father was born in Vietnam after his grandparents fled China when the communists came into power in the late 1940s. His mother, also of Chinese heritage, was born in Malaysia after her family fled from their homeland. Neither of his parents graduated from high school.

“It’s exciting to be attending college, because I’m venturing into uncharted territories,” he said.

Cung, who grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, said his family “always seemed to be going from place to place to achieve a better life.” Since his parents didn’t understand the American education system, Cung said, he learned how to be self-reliant and independent—as early as elementary school.

“Ever since I started school, my parents said, ‘We’re sorry, we couldn’t provide any aid for you in terms of your education. We can’t help you get awards or fill out paperwork. We’re sorry about that. You’re going to have to learn to take care of those matters by yourself.’”

As Cung enters his first year at Fordham, which he said was made possible through a scholarship and a generous aid package from the University, he is determined to accomplish his goals.

“Being a first generation student means that I’m in pursuit of the American dream,” he said.

“It’s all about providing a better future for our families and for ourselves.”

Samantha Chavez-Rodriguez: Setting a path for the future

For Samantha Chavez-Rodriguez, an aspiring civil rights lawyer, the inspiration to study English at Fordham College at Lincoln Center came from a surprising place.

Chavez-Rodriguez, who “loves to read and write essays,” recalled a memorable day in her AP English language and composition course at Notre Dame High School in Salinas, California. Her teacher read a poem about nature and suddenly became emotional while reading it to the class.

“I’ve never met a teacher so passionate about teaching,” said Chavez-Rodriguez. “That stuck to me. I hope that I can have a job that I love so much that it brings me to tears.”

In the same class, Chavez-Rodriguez penned an essay on gender pay gaps; writing it inspired her interest in gender, race, and discrimination.

“I don’t think it’s fair that simply because someone is a woman or from a certain race, they are paid less,” she said. “That’s what mainly pushed me.”

When Chavez-Rodriguez wasn’t studying to get good marks in school, she was participating in countless student activities, from the student council to talent shows.

“I thought that if I got involved in various student activities, it would count for college” she said.

“I’m thankful that my parents went through as much as they did to get me to the point I’m at, but I also feel this obligation to them because my mom didn’t finish college.”

Chavez-Rodriguez said her work ethic was also driven by childhood memories of growing up in East Los Angeles, where her community was inundated with gangs, drugs, and poverty.

“I grew up seeing all of this. People didn’t expect much from my community, so it just motivated me that much more. Not only [did I want]to prove people wrong, but also to show that while the community you’re born in can affect you, if you have the will and a positive attitude about what you can achieve, you can accomplish it,” said Chavez-Rodriguez.

“Where you’re born and the circumstances that you’re born into doesn’t set the path for your future.”

Caitlin Woods: A traditional family

When Caitlin Woods arrived at the Lincoln Center campus with her parents after a four-hour drive from Lothian, a rural suburb in eastern Maryland, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She said only one other of her high school friends had left the region to go to college.

Neither of her parents had been able to go to college, so when the three of them stepped out onto 61^st Street, the cheering students and hotel-like dorm took them by surprise.

“I think it was very strange for my parents to see move-in day, because none of us had ever experienced anything like that before,” she said. “That was an affirming moment, where I thought, ‘I really am an adult.’”

Woods comes from a “traditional Irish Catholic family” where, she says, the men are prone to joking around, but are not too forthcoming with their feelings. So it took her by surprise when she heard about her father’s response when her mother asked how he would feel if Caitlin went to college in New York City.

“He told my mom, ‘You know I’m nervous about her safety in New York, but what I feel mostly is pride,’ and I was like, ‘Wow!’”

She said that her two brothers and most of her friends are happy to avoid the city. But as a kid, she relished trips to Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

“Those trips were the most life-changing experiences for me, seeing somewhere where there was so much activity going on,” she said. “So for me, looking at colleges was a way for me to find a city.”

Yet, Woods, who is studying communications at Fordham, said she’ll always honor her rural roots.

“I respect and love the area where I grew up, even though it’s not where I want to spend the rest of my life,” she said. “I think this experience will allow me to bring something back to my community, but I also think it will allow me to bring something from my community to New York.

“I’d like to bring some of their humbleness with me here.”

-Tom Stoelker contributed to this article.