UNC First Generation Student Interview Transcripts

Videos available at http://firstgeneration.unc.edu/

Kristen Barbour Interview Transcript

I always thought Id be in college, I kind of always knew thats where I was headed. I
guess I grew up as a basketball fan and I always thought it would be really cool to go to
Carolina. Luckily for me it was possible and it happened. But it was kind of one of those
things I always knew.
It was a big adjustment coming from a small town but it kind of helped because there was
a lot of people and you couldnt help getting caught up in everything that was going on.
There was a lot of opportunities to become involved. I moved in a few days before
everybody else because I was in the marching band and those first few nights on campus
I was scared to death because I was living in a room all by myself, there was nobody in
my suite, there was hardly anybody on my hall. It was nerve racking because you were
the first one there and you were anticipating everyone getting there. What was going to
happen, what was it going to be like was I going to like it, were we all going to get along,
my room mates and I.
The biggest thing that helped me was just getting involved and finding a group that you
may not know everything about them, you may not have a similar background from
where youre from but you at least have a common interest in something you can relate
to. Communication is the big key in surviving first year. Id always had a room to
myself and basically been an only child and it was really hard coming in and having to
live with six or seven other girls in my suite. But they were really the first group of
people that I got to know personally and it was really helpful because they were all going
through the same things that I was.
The room mate situation, its different for everybody. One problem my room mate and I
had the first semester was we had different schedules she didnt have class until twelve, I
had class at eight. It was just kind of a clash of how our lifestyles were. And that created
some conflicts but it worked out.
The workload adjustment was probably one of the hardest adjustments there was. You
have to put in a lot more time out of class, which was something I was not used to. I
didnt really have to study in high school, it wasnt really a big deal. That was one of the
biggest changes I had to make was learning study habits and learning what was efficient.
The biggest thing is not to wait too late to ask for help. Go to your professors, most of
them are really open to sitting down and talking to you. That was one thing I utilized a
lot, especially in the English classes. And they were really helpful in giving feedback and
reading papers and giving comments. The resources on campus are great, the writing
center, I know a lot people who use that and it was very helpful for them.
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Another thing a lot of us did is we would get small study groups together and just get
three or four students together and work on some stuff and go over problems and review
notes. And that was very helpful just to go over it and review it on a smaller level. One
thing my sister-in-law always told me was to just surround myself with people better than
myself. And that way they kind of push you towards being your best. And if youre
always around someone whos better than you youre always striving to do better
yourself.
My favorite spot on campus would probably be just being in the quad in the springtime.
Everybody just comes out, grabs a towel, lays around and studies, chats, and just enjoys
each others company. Its just nice to be able to get outside after youve been cooped up
in a dorm for a few months.
Having a college education will make it a lot easier to get a job. I found that out a lot this
summer, just trying to find a job for the summer especially in the economy. It really
helps to have the experience and a degree. Itll just be really helpful later down the line,
especially in what I want to do in nursing. I cant do that without a college degree.
Theres always that goal that Ive had of being the first person to finish college in my
family. One day itll all be worth it, its trying and its hard but theres a goal, and just
trying to reach it.

Ron Bilbao Interview Transcript

I was born and raised in Miami Florida and I came to UNC for college about three years
ago. Coming here was a completely different experience, my parents dont speak any
English, they were born and raised in Venezuela and Columbia. They wanted to go to
college, my father actually had to drop out of college to go to work when he was
younger. So they knew the value of an education and they wanted to make sure they
could pass that on to their kids. The only question was really ever a matter of paying for
it. We really had no plan in terms of how we were going to pay for college. We hadnt
really thought it through, applied for some loans, you know see what we can get.
Carolina was still a little bit out of reach, but when that letter came in from the Carolina
Covenant it just made everything pretty simple.
The Carolina Covenant is a promise. Its the university telling you that you that you have
an opportunity to go to college to get an education just like everyone else. These kind of
walls of rich people going to school with poor people not going to school, theyre kind of
broken down at this university and we were the first ones to do that. So its promising
you that in four years youll graduate with an incredible degree and it will be completely
one hundred percent debt free. The decision really comes down to what you want to
major in and what you want to do with your life because the finances are no longer a
barrier.
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My parents dropped me off actually the first day when we came for C-Tops orientation
and we walked around for a little bit, they saw Franklin Street and then they went home
and then its just you and your life. I knew that I needed to talk to friends, roommates,
people in student organizations. I joined as many student organizations as possible, I met
administrators, I made friends with administrators in the Carolina Covenant and
admissions and lots of people that would help me get through and pretty much arrived at
this place where I feel comfortable where I am.
Sometimes I felt a little bit pressured, not because of the Scholarship putting pressure on
me or my parents, but really myself. I felt like there was so much that I needed to do to
give back to this place for giving me so much and to give to my parents and to not take
this opportunity for granted and sometimes you feel a little bit overwhelmed at these
pressure of being a first generation student as well. But now that Im a senior I think that
I found a real comfortable place in that you know I think that I have just as much right to
be here and just as much opportunities as anyone else.
I know that sometimes people feel overwhelmed, I myself felt a little overwhelmed the
first semester you go into these classes theyre a lot harder than when you were in high
school, when you were in middle school, they expect a lot more from you and you expect
a lot more from yourself to be honest. While at times you can feel that youre not going
to make it through the most important thing is to get through that first year and then after
that youre going to find this comfort zone and youre going to make it through because
of all of this support that you have from your friends, from your family back home, all
the professors and the administrators and faculty members that you meet that want to help
you.
My piece of advice for any student in general not just first generation or covenant but
really any college student is to never give up, even in the darkest times, even when its
finals even when its three in the morning and you still havent started studying for you
second test the next day. Just keep going because it really does get a little bit easier as
you go through. Its just like any new thing that you start, it may seem overwhelming at
first but youve just got to find that groove and Ive definitely found it here at Carolina.

Paul Cuadros Interview Transcript

My story really starts with my dad, my father. He was originally born in Peru, he was an
orphan, but it was always his desire to come to the United States and in 1960 he came by
himself, he left his wife and my two brothers behind in Peru and he moved to Ann Arbor,
Michigan. He pretty much worked by himself, living by himself, really typical
immigrant story here in the United States and he saved up enough money to eventually
bring my mother and my two brothers to Ann Arbor. About nine months later, after the

family was re-united I was born, the first American in my family to be born here in this
country.
Growing up in Ann Arbor, which is a college town very much like Chapel Hill a little
bigger, was a great experience. Everybody is sort of focused on going to school almost
from the very get go and that certainly was my fathers desire for me and my brothers.
That was not necessarily an easy thing. We had a language barrier we had to overcome
and we had a cultural barrier that we had to sort of overcome as well. I could
immediately sort of feel that impact right away once I got into college which was only
about a mile and a half away from my house. But even though the distance was really
short the sort of cultural travel that I had to do to get to Michigan was really far. Kids
from all over the world, kids from a higher social economic status than myself and very
few Hispanic students. I had to sort of find a way to engage them and find commonalities
with them where we could be friends and adapt to one another.
Freshman year was a little tough I think for the same reasons that its tough for
everybody. Living away from home, even though it was a mile and a half away it was
really as I said kind of far, managing your time, managing your classes and I was really
ambitious my freshman year, which was probably a bit of a mistake. Probably a little bit
too over confident and I should have probably taken it a little bit easier to acclimate
myself to the university, it what I would advise students today. Just use that first
semester to kind of get to know yourself, to know what you can actually do in class. We
have a generation of young people who are self educating not a lot of support from home.
Either because mom and dad are working too much or because there is a language or
cultural barrier in place.
You almost develop this feeling that I dont need anybodys help, I can handle it myself.
Sometimes thats an issue of pride and I think a lot of students have this sense of pride,
especially those that put themselves into college on their own. You need to set aside that
sometimes and seek out help. The university has a lot of different resources and
everybody is here to help you succeed but seeking that help out is up to you to do.
I would say to any perspective college student to get involved in your university and in
your community. Ive seen and met a lot of different students here on this campus and I
think its one of the great things here about UNC, about Carolina is that so many students
are involved in various issues and causes. Theyre interested in things, applying
themselves in different ways and giving back to the community and theyre passionate
about something. I think one of the issues with retention especially for minority students
is that you feel so alienated sometimes and isolated and its only when you get involved in
something that you really begin to sort of feel part of that community, that school, and
then it becomes your own. Anyone who decides to go on to higher education has already
made a commitment to do it and I would encourage anyone who has decided on
something to fulfill it. So if youve decided to come to school and seek higher education
then you owe it to yourself to fulfill that and to complete it no matter what it takes.

Stacie Hewett Interview Transcript

The decision to go to college was something that I always considered. My grandparents
raised me, and I always enjoyed school, always did very well in school. So it was
expected that for me to give myself some options and some more opportunities coming
from such a rural area in North Carolina that college was the next logical step.
Carolina was not the first choice, not because it wasnt the best choice it just wasnt
something I had considered or had information about prior to choosing it. But I knew
that college was going to be what shaped my future. So when I got an opportunity to
interview for a scholarship for UNC I started to do some research, and once I knew it was
an option for me, it seemed like the only option for me.
It was a difficult decision because, there were five or six of my closest friends who had
already accepted to go to another college, wed planned it all out, but Id never wavered
on the decision because I felt like this was going to be something that would give me the
best options for the future. When I came to Carolina the first day I met five or six
students from similar backgrounds, from small rural places, didnt really know anybody
else coming here and we were all living in the same dorm and we immediately became
close friends and they became my college family. So because of that I immediately had a
support group.
I had made straight As all through my childhood, graduated second in my class, even
though it was a small class, less than one hundred. And when I came to Carolina I
immediately realized I was no longer at the top of the class. Thats a humbling
experience for somebody who really loves school, always did well. I quickly figured out
that I didnt necessarily have the study habits I needed for a school like Carolina and
needed to figure out how to make sure I was successful here. Often times students will
come and not do as well as they would like or expect to but their pride keeps them from
getting assistance with that. And so my advice is for students to make sure they dont
wait until a situation is too far gone that they cant salvage it and make themselves
available to resources and individuals who can help them.
When I was here as an undergraduate student, I worked here at the business school as a
work studies student. When I graduated and started working at the University full time I
was working in a different department. When I was ready for a challenge, ready for what
I felt was a promotion I immediately called my old supervisor from the business school
and asked her to see if she could find something here that she thought would be good for
me. Im not sure I really would have thought my little work study job doing filing and
office work would have made that much of a difference, but because I handled that in a
professional way it eventually helped me make the connection to a much longer career.
So students should really think about no matter what it is theyre doing, volunteer work,
part time job, internship, whatever theyre doing they should do their best and they
should get to know as many people as they can because they never know who its going to
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be that will help them move further in the future, who theyre going to have to call back
for a reference, whos going to speak on their behalf to give them an opportunity.
I chose to stay at Carolina for the last 20 years because I had an immediate sense of
family and connection and home when I came here as a student. I dont think thats
different than a lot of people that I meet. Often times when I interview students and ask
them why they chose Carolina if they had other options and the majority of them will tell
me that once they came to visit they immediately knew this was the place for them and I
felt that same way. Ive never regretted staying here, its really afforded me lots of
opportunities Im not sure I would have had going somewhere else.

Sophia Nicholson Interview Transcript

My mom was very committed to my education because she grew up in Korea and by the
time she had gotten into high school she had to start taking care of her family like of her
younger brothers and sisters. She wanted me to experience life and to experience the
world and be successful and know what success is and how it feels like.
I think when it really came into focus was probably sophomore year. That was when you
start looking at colleges and the ones you want. I wanted to go to a great liberal arts
college and one thats well known and when I get that degree when I attain it Im going
to feel like I really achieved something. When I came to Carolina for the undecided
students that was it, I knew. Like walking through the quad, theres nothing like it. My
families reaction when I got into Carolina was insane. They threw a huge party, they had
it together in like two days.
I hadnt even gone to college, hadnt set foot in it, hadnt done the financial aid any of
that, but I already felt like I had accomplished something. The first day I was here it was
hot. It was very very hot and humid good old Carolina weather. If it was negative twenty
I wouldnt have even noticed because I was just so excited to be here and just to finally
after all this build up put my money where my mouth was and start going to college.
I was nervous but the excitement completely overruled that. I was ready to just get to
know people, get to know my professor. There are things you just cannot know
intuitively when coming to a college like Carolina. So first generation students are kind
of at a disadvantage because they dont have that background they dont have those
people at home saying this is what we went through so you can apply it. You have to be
more self-motivated to be a first generation college student I think.
It was very easy to just get off track and just Im not going to do my homework, Im
going to procrastinate, Im going to watch some TV. But my counselors and my mother
and my brother they were always there keeping me on my toes telling me Sophia you

need to do this. Not even you have to go to college because its what youre supposed to
do, you should want to go to college, because you should want a better life.
Of course Carolina is so much fun and theres always something to do. In that same
respect its got that small town feel. Theres always room to grow and theres always
opportunities and so you should never ever feel self conscious about yourself. Theres
always this sense of you know you can talk to anybody and theyre going to be very
receptive. Theres more of a sense of community here at Carolina. If I were just to give
one piece of random advice it would be, be open-minded. I find that being open minded
about things, about new experiences, about new people will always make the situation
much less awkward for you, for the people around you and youll end up just having a
great time.
The real, I think real joy of knowing Carolina or being at Carolina is getting to appreciate
how diverse everything is and just getting to meet so many people and the opportunity is
there, you should seize it.

Andre Wesson Interview Transcript

My name is Andre Wesson, I am from Rocky Mount North Carolina. I am a proud
Alumnus of the university, graduated in 2004. I work in the Academic advising
programs now.
I hail from a single parent household and so my mother bar none was the most influential
factor in me going on to college. A premium was put on education from a very early age,
she did a lot to put me in a position to attend different camps when I was growing up,
attend different leadership seminars during the summers.
I was fortunate enough to attend the summer bridge program, which I think was
absolutely critical. The summer bridge program was an eight of nine week academic
program where entering first year students were able to come to the university and take
two courses, become familiar with the campus, become familiar with the resources, and
really adjust before they came in august.
I still had to go through some of those first semester things of getting grades that I had
never seen before, feeling like Carolina was too big of a place for me, feeling like it was
too challenging, perhaps I made the wrong decision, I should have gone someplace closer
to home. All of those things I think are typical for first year students. Regardless of
whether they are first generation, regardless if they come from lower income household.
You know, Carolina starts here, whether your high school stopped here or stopped here. I
went to a high school that didnt have a lot of AP courses or IB courses so a lot of the
courses in the first semester were extremely intense, more intensive than anything I had
taken before.
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Perhaps the most trying time in my first semester was the first time I saw the grade of a
38 I believe. So when I say that you see grades that you have never seen before that you
never thought existed I got a 38 on an English paper, and English was my strength. And
so I remember calling home crying, between me and you, calling home crying and telling
my mom, look I think this is out of control, Carolina is just a little bit too crazy for me. If
I cant pass, do well on an English paper, what can I do well on.
I just knew there were some things that Carolina was going to push me, some directions
that Carolina was going to push me in that may place me out of my comfort zone, and I
became fine with that. And I think thats something I would encourage all students to do,
particularly first generation college students to be comfortable being pushed beyond
those boundaries.
Having family and friends as a support system is absolutely critical in coming to college.
For me my mother was a motivational factor just because this is a person who I had the
closest relationship with. Again my ultimate desire was not to disappoint her. I think its
a fine line between leaning on your support resources and actually becoming dependent
on them. College is a time where you step away from that and you start to mature on your
own whether it be academically, personally, just in how you process the world around
you.
I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work at my alma mater, so as an academic
adviser now I absolutely love it. So all day everyday what I get to do is speak with
students who are going through the same process I went through not too long ago.
Sometimes its helpful to have someone I think who has been there recently and
recognizes that we feel like we have everything figured out and can still add value to
some of the things that were thinking or show us opportunities that we werent thinking
or show us potential pitfalls before we get there. And I think for so many incoming first
year students, particularly first generation college students, there is a stigma of being
ashamed a little bit of asking for help. Or feeling that if we ask for help it means we are
somehow inferior to other students.
There will come a point where you hit a wall. And what Carolina does is provide a
wonderful support system of resources across the board, whether its learning disabilities
resources, the writing center, the learning center, the math help center. You have to ask
for help at some point and thats one of the things I think at the basic level will benefit us
once we leave the university, once we graduate, once we go forward. Because each of us,
all people have to ask for help at some point, so take advantage of the resources, max
them out fully, and watch yourself grow both academically and personally.