Britney Marrugo
I had to make various mistakes, jump through hoops and constantly ensure that I was taking the right steps. After trial and error, as a junior, I am now more educated than I was in my first year here.
For this year’s First-Generation Week celebration, junior Britney Marrugo has shared what it means to be a first-generation student (or First Osprey), how it impacted her college experience and the support she has received since. #CelebrateFirstGen
Being a first-generation student means breaking generational curses and setting up my future generations for success. To my family, it means that my parents’ sacrifices and hard work to support me in my success were worth it. I was able to endure my experiences and learn because of their sacrifices and my embracing of how I can make sure my future is successful.
My college experience as a first-generation college student is different from those who aren’t first-gen because college was an experiment. I had to make various mistakes, jump through hoops and constantly ensure that I was taking the right steps. After trial and error, as a junior, I am now more educated than I was in my first year here.
I came in during the pandemic and the (Education Opportunity Fund - Galloway) EOF staff greatly supported me during my new beginning. When I joined Los Latinos Unidos, I felt incredibly supported by my peers. Getting involved definitely changed my life and now, as president of the club, I make sure that we continue to have that safe space for students like myself.
I can confidently say that all the Stockton University offices made me feel heard and cared for as an individual. As a first-gen student, I had a lot of questions for our offices like Admissions, Financial Aid and the Bursar, and someone from their staff made sure to correctly guide me and be patient with me every time. When I graduate, I can wholeheartedly say that I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support I received from this university.
This Voice was originally published as a part of a series for 2022's First Generation Week. At the time of publication, and currently, Marrugo was a Communications Studies major and president of the student organization Los Latinos Unidos.
