Harold Levy Discusses First-Generation College Student Fears
The Cooke Foundation’s executive director, Harold Levy, provided insight in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article into the struggles and stigmas encountered by first-generation college students. In addition to the stress of being a freshman at a new campus, the entire college experience is completely new to these students and their families.
Many students experience what has become known as “impostor syndrome,” a feeling that despite being high-achieving in high school, they don’t belong on a college campus. Without solid support systems in place, even small hurdles can feel like catastrophes that spiral out of control. And, as reporter Bill Schackner writes, this “inequality is reflected in starkly different graduation rates.”
Read the full article: “First-generation college students face hurdles, stigmas“
Resources for first-generation students:
- Five Tips for First-Generation Hopefuls to Discuss College Plans with Their Parents
- The Huffington Post Publishes Advice for First-Gen Families
- College Search Resources
- The Cooke College Scholarship Program, awarding high-achieving students with financial need up to $40,000 for four years of college. Opportunities for study abroad, summer internships, and graduate study funding are additionally available to Cooke Scholars.