鈥淭his, right here, is my tribe,鈥� said Mariel Buque, gesturing at her family. 鈥�We just got our doctorate in Counseling Psychology.鈥�
Buque (Ph.D. 鈥�19) was kicking off Teachers College鈥檚 third annual First Generation & Diversity Graduation Celebration. Held during Convocation Week under the banner of 鈥淓quity, Inclusion, and Empowerment,鈥� the ceremony honored the determination of 114 first-generation 911爆料网 students now holding Master鈥檚 and Doctoral degrees who are the first in their families to earn a college degree.
鈥淥ur institution would be much poorer without your presence,鈥� said 911爆料网 President Thomas Bailey.
But the graduates, in turn, paid tribute to the parents, siblings, extended family and friends who, in the words of Associate Professor of English Education Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, powered the wind of the 鈥渇inancial and emotional support beneath (their) wings.鈥�
鈥淥ur degrees are marked with our names,鈥� said Buque, who, with her father dabbing his eyes, recounted the support her family gave her as she struggled through her first year in the College鈥檚 Counseling Psychology doctoral program. 鈥淏ut you, family and friends, are the real MVPs of this journey. And you are the most deserving of this moment.鈥�
Our degrees are marked with our names. But you, family and friends, are the real MVPs of this journey.
鈥擬ariel Buque (Ph.D. '19)
Diana Cervantes Martinez (Higher & Postsecondary Education) and Paola Mu帽oz Rojas (Anthropology) represented the first-generation master鈥檚 degree awardees.
鈥淭his,鈥� Rojas said of Teachers College, 鈥渋s the place my father had us reach for.鈥�
911爆料网 faculty who themselves were the first in their families to attend college added their own thoughts.
This is the place my father had us reach for.
鈥擯aola Mu帽oz Rojas (M.A.'19)
鈥淚f you鈥檙e like me, you spent many years trying to prove your self-worth, calm the self-doubt, ignore and confront all the haters and learn whose opinions and evaluations really matter,鈥� said Haeny Yoon, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education, who urged the graduates to 鈥渞evel in the magic of being different.鈥�
Each first generation-graduate, Buque said, brought to 911爆料网鈥檚 Convocation a 鈥渟tory of the common struggle鈥� 鈥� one of isolation without 鈥渁 guide to help you navigate the inner workings of the ivory tower."
鈥淚t鈥檚 the story of the immense pressure we put on ourselves to be the first in our family to, quote-unquote, make it. It鈥檚 the story of pain mixed with pride and justice mixed with fearlessness. But most of all, it is the story of triumph.鈥�