Being a first generation student can bring a lot of pressure–from the extra workload to the expectations of others, says sociology and social work student Tihnae Bennett.
Bennett, who will be a senior in the fall, is the first in her family to work toward a college degree. She credits the University of Michigan SOUL program (Sociology Opportunities for Undergraduate Leaders) for allowing her to connect with her first generation identity and navigate her unique position as a first generation student.
“My family brags about me all the time and sometimes I’m like, ‘It’s okay, I am just trying to get the upward mobility of having a college degree since it is really important nowadays for a lot of jobs.’ I am trying my best to support myself in the future and then in return support my family,” she said.
SOUL was founded in 2016 and since has been providing resources and support for first generation sociology majors. The three component, year-long program gives students extra opportunities to succeed, with the added benefit of creating a forever community within each cohort.
SOUL accepts first generation college students, those whose parents didn’t graduate from a four-year institution, at any point during their university careers.
Students have found tremendous success using the program developed and run by Matthew Sullivan, the program director and lecturer.
As of now SOUL remains unique to the sociology department. “Increasingly word of mouth is getting out there because we have been around long enough. I have people from other departments saying, ‘Hey can I apply,’ and I am always like, ‘no but you can tell your department you would like something like this,’ because we have been trying to expand for years,” said Sullivan.
Sullivan hopes one day to offer the program for first generation students across campus. “I think this program would be beneficial for other majors in order for them to create a community within their major, and also get resources and opportunities they might not otherwise have,” said student Angel Li.
Students begin the program with a two-credit course that utilizes weekly readings and journals to help the students in SOUL discover their first generation identity.
“As first generation college students, we talk about building our own path. We are already breaking through so many boundaries, so we can really do anything we set our minds to,” Bennett said.
The first semester focuses on building academic skills such as effective reading and test preparation. Students then shift gears during the second semester where there is an emphasis on professional development and building a resume. This gives students both hard skills and reasoning skills. Through SOUL students have a space to contemplate and understand their own experiences as a first generation college student.
“He [Matt] gave me the vocabulary to understand and explain how a first generation identity can impact your higher education experiences,” said alum of the program, senior Antonio Gaeta.
Li emphasizes that Sullivan’s passion for the program creates a welcoming environment in which each student feels included.
“My favorite part of the program was the weekly check-ins in the beginning where people could share however much they wanted and Matt and the class were encouraging and supportive,” said Li. In this domain students discuss topics such as how their families have responded to them going to college, life after college, networking, how their families perspective of social class influenced them, how the combination of race and social class has impacted their identities, and where they see themselves in 15 years.
Another component to the program is student involvement in research. SOUL strives to give students opportunities that align with their future careers. With faculty and partner-institution guided research opportunities, students can create connections with professors with whom they normally would not interact..
Alumnus of the program and recent graduate Antonio Gaeta participated in research with the LSA Opportunity Hub and plans to continue his work there after graduation until his next step.
“I have been a part of the hub as a mentorship intern and this upcoming summer I will be a mentorship coordinator, so I will be more full time,” said Gaeta. “SOUL shaped the educational path I took at U of M. I became a part of the program my sophomore year and it was the beginning of my interest in how identities impact educational experiences. It changed my path and now I plan to focus on education more heavily in my masters program.”
These opportunities give students the ability to network and also develop new skills.
“I have never done research before this. I got a lot of one-on-one help with learning how to code interviews which was a really good opportunity. My sister is also first generation but in engineering and I think it would be really beneficial if she got an opportunity like mine,” said Li.
Students also partake in the Barger Leadership Institute program. The class ALA 175 provides tools and resources needed to become a leader on campus and throughout life. Teams pick an issue they find important and curate a project to combat it. Tihnae focused on hunger in the community and her team built a plan to create a community garden. After completing the project they presented it to the peers and facilitators in their class. If students are passionate about what they created, the Barger Institute provides an opportunity to apply for funding and resources to make it a reality.
