Last year, I embarked on the journey of collecting stories about the experiences and views of first-generation students of color attending graduate school. My purpose for collecting these stories was simple: I wanted to 1) learn about the experiences of first-generation graduate students of color and 2) learn how first-generation graduate students of color are supported/not supported in their graduate programs. To date, I have collected 60 narratives ranging from students in the social sciences, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), law, and medicine. Here are three ways to support first-generation graduate students of color based on the narratives I have collected.

Summer Bridge Programs

[Image Description: A college graduate walking through the sky on the supportive hands of people below]

Pictured: With the support of summer bridge programs, first-generation graduate students of color can walk into their programs with confidence.

For first-generation graduate students of color, attending graduate school is a learning curve. This is true regardless of whether they enrolled in graduate school immediately after their undergraduate program or took some time off before enrolling. When describing the first few weeks in their graduate programs, students described their first year in graduate school as “being a freshman without having gone to orientation.” They had to learn the academic demands of their discipline while learning the social competencies needed to thrive in their department and university.

A potential solution to ease the transition of first-generation graduate students of color into graduate school are summer bridge programs. An example of summer bridge program for graduate students is UC Riverside’s GradEdge/Jumstart program which enables STEM students to take preparatory courses, meet faculty, and participate in professional development seminars. For students in the narratives I collected, participating in a summer bridge program enabled them to become familiar with the academic rigor expected in graduate school, learn about their campus resources, and meet campus staff and faculty who helped them navigate their department and university. This eases some of the anxiety associated with starting graduate school by helping students gain confidence in the academic and social competencies needed to navigate graduate school.

Mentoring and Community Building Opportunities

[Image Description: Three people walking up a hill at night while one catches stars with a net, one holds a map, and the other points ahead

Pictured: Mentorship and community are crucial to navigating the challenges of grad school!

While summer bridge programs can be instrumental to helping first-generation graduate students of color ease into graduate school, it is not an end all be all solution for this demographic. First-generation graduate students of color benefited from culturally relevant mentoring practices that enabled them to build community while receiving guidance to navigate graduate school. Mentoring and community-building activities do not need to be at odds, especially when supporting first-generation graduate students. You can go on a hike and talk about professional development. I appreciate having pan dulce and coffee with my mentor while talking about post-doctoral applications. Mentoring does not have to be rigid. Similarly, community building can benefit from some structure where talks about professional development happen organically. This theme in the narratives urges colleges and universities to rethink their mentoring practices in ways in which mentoring and community-building activities are not mutually exclusive but rather activities that should exist in sync with one another. 

Transparency in Economic Assistance

[Image Description: A half-full glass piggy bank]

Pictured: Transparency in funding opportunities can help make paying for grad school a little less stressful.

Paying for school and living expenses is a challenge for this demographic—and many graduate students in general. While some programs offer assistance such as stipends, TAships, and research assistant positions, not all programs and funding sources are created equal. In many programs, students rely on their peers to be informed of what type of program assistantships are available. The process of hunting for funding can create a lot of stress and anxiety. A way to support graduate students of color is for departments to be transparent on 1) for how long they can support graduate students and b) what funding opportunities are available. Having a database of fellowships, TAships, and research assistantships is a viable first step that will take the burden off students when it comes to securing funding.