作为第一代大学生可能会令人生畏. 不像你的许多同事, your family and loved ones cannot provide you with a road map of the college experience. As the first in your family to embark on the journey toward higher education, you have the unique challenge of charting a new course in unfamiliar territory.

Still, being a first-generation student isn’t just a challenge — it’s also an exciting opportunity. 第一代学生为他们的家庭开辟了一条新的道路, 自豪地推进他们的教育, 确保他们的未来, 把他们的声音带到新的领域和行业.

他是家里第一个接受高等教育的人, Timothy Prince felt this excitement back when he began his UB journey in 2018.

从布鲁克林到布里奇波特

在布鲁克林的弗拉特布什社区长大, 纽约市, Timothy attended a charter school that primarily served students from underrepresented backgrounds. 因此, teachers made a concentrated effort to encourage and challenge students to pursue higher education. 蒂莫西特别有动力去迎接这个挑战. It was his dream to be the first in his family to attend college.

Part of Timothy’s ambition was inspired by his aunt, who served her community as a social worker. Watching her improve the lives of others and enact positive social change inspired Timothy to do the same. 他想帮助领导, 激励, and empower diverse communities by advocating for inclusion and equity at the grassroots level.

It was at a college fair that Timothy learned about 正规的网赌平台. 作为一个主要为少数民族服务的机构, UB对多样性的奉献与他的愿景和目标一致. 除了拥有包容的文化, 便利的经济援助服务使UB成为完美的选择.

“I came to 正规的网赌平台 with a mission to be the first college graduate in my family. No matter the challenges that I have faced over these past four years, I will always thank UB for giving me the best college experience that I could’ve asked for.”

在UB做出改变

When Timothy began studying at 正规的网赌平台, he was enrolled as a sociology major. Initially, he thought this would be the most secure path to a career as a social worker. 但是在他的第一学期, other students and professors began encouraging Timothy to change his major to Human Services and Psychology. Whereas a degree in sociology would have helped Timothy study big-picture social changes, a 人类服务与心理学学位 would allow him to work closely with individuals and communities.

蒂莫西接受了他们的建议. 在上学的头几个月之后, he officially declared as a Human Services and Psychology major. His studies only served to increase his passion for social change. 在他的专业课程中, Timothy began developing an in-depth understanding of how people think and what influences human behavior. 他还开始学习心理咨询课程, where he learned strategies for establishing trustful relationships with new people.

参与校园活动

There was no better place for Timothy to fine-tune his counseling skills than the UB campus itself. He became actively involved with the Student Programming Board and 学生参与中心, where he served as a leader and advocate for other UB students. 尽管他结交了无数同行, Timothy took special pride in being able to help new and transfer students acclimate to university life. Timothy also became involved with other organizations across the UB Campus, 例如“性别意识俱乐部”和“团结一致”. 以他积极的心态, 职业道德, 以及帮助他人的承诺, 他在两个组织中都晋升到领导职位.

在学生编程委员会工作期间, Timothy also helped pioneer what is now a UB tradition — the GSA Drag Brunch! Timothy was inspired to bring this cultural experience to UB after noticing that similar events were being offered by local restaurants and establishments. 除了美味的早午餐, 这一事件引起了激烈的关注, 笑着说, 以及难忘的大学记忆. Moreover, the Drag Brunch serves the UB community by offering free and confidential HIV/AIDS testing.

“我加入了学生编程委员会, 成为性别意识俱乐部的主席, 联合我们的队长, 他是学生参与中心的学生工作者, 也是多样性协会的成员, 股本, 及共融委员会. All my UB student experiences have made me the successful student leader I am 今天.”

致力于高等教育的包容性

Although Timothy had long dreamt of promoting diversity and leadership in his community, 确切的“如何”仍然不确定. That is until Timothy’s colleagues at the Student Programming Board and Student Involvement Center began encouraging him to pursue a career in higher education. Though Timothy had never considered this possibility, it made perfect sense. He found it immensely rewarding to help students lead their best lives, and the capacity for him to create positive social change was clear. By encouraging students from marginalized backgrounds to find their voices, 蒂莫西可以帮助增加代表人数, 可见性, and advancement for diverse communities — advocating for social change at the grassroots level.

今天，蒂莫西继续这样做. 在他于2022年12月获得学士学位后, Timothy began the new year by joining the University of New Haven staff as the Coordinator for Leadership, 多样性 & 包容——为Myatt多元化中心工作 & 包容和学生参与中心，领导力 & 取向. 在他目前的职位上, Timothy serves as a liaison between the two departments — continuing his mission to inspire and promote diverse leadership.

但这还不是全部. 在秋天, Timothy plans to advance his career in student affairs by pursuing a master’s degree in Higher Education. Having been both a student and coordinator in the world of higher ed, 蒂莫西给未来的大学生提供了很好的建议. “积极参与，特别是如果你住在校园里. 如果你不参与，只是从一节课到另一节课, you’ll miss opportunities and feel like you’re still in high school. 当你参与其中, 你会见朋友, 建立联系, 甚至可能找到未来的工作机会.”

UB和你

作为一名紫袍骑士，有无数的方法 参与 在校园, so first-generation students and those from marginalized backgrounds will find plenty of opportunities to get engaged in student life at UB. 正规的网赌平台 deeply values diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). UB’s DEI Council is dedicated to ensuring that these values are upheld and embraced across campus.

准备好加入紫骑士家族了? 正规的网赌平台 今天!