Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

“A Welcome, A Warning And A Wish: On Entering Lmu Through The ‘First To Go Program’ In The Year 2020”, Dean Bryant Keith Alexander, Phd

First-Gen Voices: Creative and Critical Narratives on the First-Generation College Experience

"As many as you know, Loyola Marymount University (LMU) has a powerful mission statement that includes three pillars that are often cited and recited: The encouragement of learning; the education of the whole person; and the service of faith and the promotion of justice.

As I welcome you to campus, I welcome you into the recognition of this now shared mission statement as a joint commitment to encouraging an integration of knowledge; in which “faith and reason bear witness to the unity of all truth” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, 1990, #17) and to instill in our students the abilities for life-long …

Children Of The Corn, Quetzali Lopez

First-Gen Voices: Creative and Critical Narratives on the First-Generation College Experience

“Child of the Corn” was a short script inspired by my family’s taqueria in Chicago. The story is intended to be a light comedy, but still addresses the issues of gentrification happening in cultural communities. Xiomara and her little brother, Abel, are working at their family’s restaurant when they discover a new yuppie taco joint has opened up across the street. While Abel is excited to scope out the competition, Xiomara is concerned about how can affect her family’s work.

For Those Who Grew Too Fast, Erik Soto-Vasquez, Leonardo Dominguez-Ortega, Kiana Liu, Veronica Gomez, Maria Fernanda Meléndez Miranda, Megan Mcnaughton, Haley Gronski, Quetzali Lopez, Marieann Garzon, Brisa Gutierrez, Saúl Rascón Salazar, Mariel Fuentes, Renato Guzman, Karina Pena, Aviva Schwaiger, Denise Espinoza, Tiana Lockett, Katherine Comasil-Hernandez, Ashley Mccluskey, Brayan Vazquez, Manuel Armendariz Castro, Hannah Agbaroji

First-Gen Voices: Creative and Critical Narratives on the First-Generation College Experience

This volume welcomes you amid multiple global epidemics. It welcomes you home, hoping that these words provide visibility, comfort, introspection, and roadmap for pushing boundaries. We know we are tired, we know we are facing uncertainty at every turn, and we know that connection is wearing thin. This collection of words serves as an “I see you,” as an “I am with you,” as an “I love you.” These pieces came together toward end of the Spring 2020, when a group of first-year and transfer students came together to speak their existence. They bring memories and a reminder that together …