Photo Courtesy: Shruti Nelson – assistant director for First Generation Transition & Mentoring Programs
By: Natalie Cervantes
The Texas Tech first-generation transition and mentoring programs are growing as they prepare to keep evolving to serve and support college students who identify as a first-generation student.
Brandon Cruz, director for First Generation Transition & Mentoring Programs, spoke about the growth and importance of the program.
“Over the last 10 years, the first-generation student population continues to grow,” Cruz said.
Graphic: Natalie Cervantes
According to Tech’s instructional research, in the fall 2010 semester, about 24.44% of the undergraduate student body where first-generation students; since then, the percentage has increased to about 26.06 % as of fall 2020.
The growth is due to the partnerships, and strategic plans Tech has made as they provide pathways for high school students and transfer students to earn a degree, Cruz said.
“The First Generation Transition Mentoring program at Tech seeks to serve our undergraduate first-generation student population by providing them with resources, connection, and a sense of belonging on campus,” he said.
The program is committed to providing students with opportunities to make them successful in their personal life and academic career.
About a year and a half ago, the program was only supporting first- and second-year first-generation students, Cruz said. Since then, the program has been able to expand to all first-generation undergraduate students.
Mauricio Mata, former peer mentor and fall 2020 graduate, spoke about the benefits of the changes made to the program.
“I think having the program offered for all undergrads is good because I am pretty sure there are people that need help more than just their first year,” Mata said.
He said he joined the program to become better adjusted to college, after years in the program, he became a mentee and finally a peer mentor.
A peer mentor is a student leadership position within the program, Mata said. They are usually paired with members with a similar major to help them with their academics and meet new people.
Graphic: Natalie Cervantes
“My favorite part of the organization mainly was being paired and partnered with fellow first-generation students who had similar things in common,” Mark Molina, senior kinesiology major from Laredo, said.
The program helped with responsibility and making connections while adjusting to college, Molina said.
Mata said there is a fear that first-time college students will quit after a semester because they have no connections or resources, so the program is designed to help.
“With the program, I know that I am not alone in going to college, I always have friends who are willing to be there for me and helped me out when I need them,” Molina said.
Mata said another benefit of the program is lifetime connections–many students who leave stay in touch. He said he remains friends and roommates with people he met through the program.
This is only the beginning, Cruz said the program will continue to grow and expand to help more first-generation Red Raiders as they plan on expanding to include graduates in the fall.
“We want our students to feel connected, understand what resources are available and know that they belong,” Cruz Said. “We have got a lot of work to do to continue to serve our first-gen Red Raiders, and we just look forward to more growth in the years to come.”
For more information: visit the organization’s website here.
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