“That class has been cancelled.”
“Your financial aid file is incomplete.”
“You have been no-showed.”
“The deadline has passed.”
“I cannot find my academic adviser.”
Wandering students randomly appear in my office sharing these types of statements, which seemingly threaten to undo them, even those not studying in my division (Social Sciences). Most times a ‘homemade’ sign taped to the top of my computer screen catches my attention from the corner of my eye. It simply reads, “This is somebody’s dream!”
It is a reminder that, for many of these students, simply attending college is the first bold, life-altering goal they have managed to formulate. They dared to dream of furthering their education. Many are first-generation college students, individuals who we universally define as students whose parents are without any postsecondary education experience, having a high school education or lower level of educational attainment.
