Nearly one quarter of the nation’s undergraduates are the first in their families to go to college, but most of that group will not graduate within six years. Researchers say cultural pressures might be to blame.
Jose Escobedo was the first American citizen in his family. His parents came to the El Paso, Texas from Chihuahua, Mexico before he was born. Growing up, working alongside his parents on ranches, Escobedo says he never considered college as an option.
“My family didn’t really have much money. I mean public schools are free and everything but still living around and trying to get jobs you know for my parents. You know it was kind of a struggle eventually we just kind of found a settling area where we stuck around, we are still there.” Escobedo said.
Escobedo's parents never went to college themselves. Studies show it's harder for students to navigate college admissions and financial aid systems when their parents have not had that experience.
Despite that there has been an increase in the number of first generation students admitted to college in the last 20 years. However, only 11 percent of them graduate within six years, and researchers say it's increasingly difficult for them to graduate after the 5 year mark (http://www.statista.com/statistics/222442/prolonged-completion-rates-for-us-bachelor-degree-seekers/).
So how can educators break the pattern?
How about with breakdancing?
Patrick ‘Pac Man’ Perez is a youth motivational speaker who works to boost college success among first generation students. He points to studies that show low graduation rates are often less about access to funding and more about a clash in cultural values http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/131657.pdf
“The mentality of family versus academics and career just don’t blend together. When you have a Mum and Dad telling their son, their daughter “Mi hija, mi hijo we need you, you know finish school but we need you here to get a job to help start supporting the house hold. We need you to start helping support us right now. You have got to baby sit your brother we don’t have money to send you to school.” Perez said.
In his workshops, Perez uses dance and pop music to open comfortable dialogue about college and career success. Specifically; how it can be balanced with family and cultural expectations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN4e47dtEfs
“Using the dance to connect with these kids that were kind of no one else was really reaching out too and saw that bridge that the dancing built itself. It was a way for me to connect to say hey you know how are things at school? How are things at home?” Perez said
Like the students he works with, Perez was the first in his family to get a degree. He says immigrants’ families often fail to recognize the importance of education.
“That is one of the big challenges that students face we don’t have money, you know we are barely surviving right now. You don’t need a degree just get a good job.” Perez said.
But research shows getting a good job will continue to get harder for those who don’t finish college. A Georgetown University study says that by 2018, 63 percent of all job openings will require at least some college education.
Jose Escobedo says if his boss didn’t convince him to go to college, he probably would have just kept working as a ranch hand and joined the military.
“She just kind of yelled at me the whole time while I was there working cleaning. She was like; you don’t want to be, excuse the word- cleaning (BLEEP) your whole life! I was like not really no I don’t.” Escobedo said.
Escobedo’s boss ended up funding his education at a college prep high school. He now studies journalism at New Mexico State University on a scholarship through the College Assistance Migrant Program.
“They aid the students, they paid for a full year, here their freshman year is paid off, stipends, books, you get money for books, you get money for food, you get money for the dorms.” Escobedo said.
The US Department of Education says first generation students in the College Assistance Migrant Program are around 7 times more likely to leave college with a bachelor’s degree.
While national program only serves around 2,400 students every year, Perez says it shows how important guidance and support can be for first generation college success.
“I am still planning on going to the military, but this time it is different I am going to hopefully have a degree.” Escobedo said.