PHOENIX — Ricardo Nieland, Jr., has had his fair share of setbacks. Several years ago, it was unclear if the second-year chemical engineering student would even be able to attend college.
But Nieland — a first generation student at Arizona State University — is thriving, thanks to the support that he and his family have received from the American Dream Academy, an ASU program that works directly with high schools and parents to ensure that first-generation students are admitted to college.
Eager for her children to attend college, Nieland’s mother “needed help. She didn’t know what to do,” to support her children’s college aspirations, says Nieland. She enrolled in the American Dream Academy’s eight week program and learned about everything from the FAFSA form to the PELL grant.
Nieland’s sister graduated from college three years ago and is now a fourth grade teacher. She’ll be returning to ASU soon to pursue a master’s degree. His younger brother is a sophomore in high school and is beginning to think about his college career.
“I don’t feel too lost,” says Nieland, who is among the growing number of first-generation Latino students who are enrolled at ASU. “As a first-generation college student, I feel like I’m getting the support I need to be successful.”
Catering to the needs of first-generation college students — a large percentage of whom are low-income and minority — was the focus at the Education Writers Association’s seminar “Accelerating Innovation: New Ideas for Colleges & Newsrooms,” that took place at ASU over the weekend.
“There are first generation students everywhere,” says Maureen Hoyler, the president of the Council for Opportunity in Education. “These are not new issues. They are really longstanding concerns.”
