Karina Landero
Share Your Story
As a first-gen student, people often talk about how hard it is to learn and read the new world you step into. But what about what’s unsaid and unwritten? University—especially prestigious ones—comes with a maze of unspoken rules, expectations, and trajectories. It can feel incredibly isolating to be the first in your family to navigate the social and networking side of academia. Coming from a high school that literally collapsed and struggled academically, I was expected to perform at the same level as students from selective schools with perfect GPAs. The learning curve was insane—I came into college not knowing what an internship or fellowship even was, with most of my experience in customer service since I was fourteen. I was a hard worker, but academia felt like a completely different world—one built on competition, privilege, and knowledge I didn’t yet have. For a while, I stayed in my comfort zone, afraid to leave my bubble. But I realized I would never truly succeed if I didn’t learn the rules, adapt, and step up. I’ve learned that the financial struggles and lack of support don’t magically stop—but no one is going to hand you your dreams. If you want something good, there are probably a hundred people in line for it too, so you have to work for it and bet on yourself. Now, I’m on the e-board for the largest Latine student organization, I write for a feminist magazine, I’ve completed several internships, and I’ve earned University Honors multiple times. Getting here took more than just navigating poverty, financial aid forms, and independence—it meant building (and still improving) a support system and discovering who I am. I’ve learned how to grow into someone who not only meets the rigor and expectations of the University of Michigan but thrives with confidence and purpose within it.
Your advice for other First-Gen students
Get involved—and get involved fast. Being a hard worker independently isn’t always enough; if no one knows who you are, they can’t support or vouch for you. Connections matter, and people are more likely to help the student they know than the one quietly doing everything right in the background. So, show up, speak up, and bet on your eagerness. If there’s anything you can do to prepare, get ahead, or better yourself as a student—do it. Believe in yourself first, because if you don’t, you give others nothing to believe in when they see you. And don’t take no for an answer when your dreams are on the other side of a yes.