In 2024, I graduated from the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina with highest honors after successfully defending my thesis on the experiences of BIPOC first-generation college students (FGCS) at four-year universities and how social media has served as a resource for these students. This thesis explores how the intersections of race, economics, social, institutional, and emotional pressures can impact first-generation college students.
In my research, I found that the barrier between getting to the next level and not, lies within knowing what resources are available. A student decides whether or not to go to college if they believe college is an option for them, or know how to navigate the process. To some prospective first-generation college students, a four-year degree does not seem attainable because they do not know how to procure it without going through financial hardship or without help navigating institutional roadblocks. To many, the path to a four-year degree is more strenuous than one without. The first-generation students who attend college must often bear the sole responsibility for taking care of themselves, financially and emotionally all while on the path to graduating school.
After web-scraping and conducting personal interviews with current first-generation students and alumni I gathered that many FGCS went to the internet to look for support or to ask questions related to high school classes, college readiness, or mental health. After these questions were posed, few received answers and many received none at all.
I concluded that there was an immense need for an administrative presence for FGCS on social media. So, I used Instagram to create a public-facing platform to post content that directly relates to FGCS and can provide resources about how to survive college. I hope this account can one day serve as a community to connect FGCS to people and resources who are readily available to help.