Committing to Syracuse University was more than just a personal milestone for senior Chloe Wang. Paving the way for her younger sibling as both a first-generation student and an older sister, Wang said she felt empowered to be a guiding figure for her brother.

“I just want him to know that everything will work out fine,” Wang said. “Even with rejections and acceptances, you will be going somewhere. You shouldn’t have any self-doubt or let a rejection letter define who you are because you’re more than that.”

Wang said that while her parents found success without a college degree, she recognizes the opportunities that come with pursuing higher education.

“My parents showed me that even without having higher education, you can still be successful in life,” Wang said. “But I feel like when you pursue higher education, you can have more internship opportunities, network, meet new people, study abroad, and just more opportunities that my parents never got to do.”

Inspired by her cousin, who currently attends the University of California (UC), Davis, Wang looks forward to independence and new experiences in college.

“Ever since eighth grade, I knew that I wanted to pursue higher education,” Wang said. “When I saw my cousin go to UC Davis, I knew I wanted to be like him. I knew I wanted to pursue a higher education and have a degree in something. I feel like college overall is different from high school because there are so many more opportunities and freedom for us.”

While senior Katherinne Frausino Chieppe said the college application process “was very difficult,” she said that she “[stood] up for herself” by reaching out to school advisors and joining organizations that could guide her through her applications. Next fall, Chieppe will be majoring in psychology at San Diego State University.

“I’m definitely really excited and I’m proud of myself,” Chieppe said. “I am becoming the change that I want to see. And I really hope that even though I’m the first, I won’t be the last.”

During high school, Chieppe’s main goal was to attend a four-year university. She said that college felt “attainable” because of her parents’ support.

“My parents’ path is a lot different than the one that I want to have for myself,” Chieppe said. “Sometimes when I see them, it inspires me to be different and to show them that it’s also possible to dream and to not force yourself into a certain stereotype.”

Though Chieppe recognizes the different pathways after high school, she said that college is the most “fitting” option for her since it is a way to expand her interests.

“It’s important to have those experiences, take classes, move out of the house, live on your own, to be able to designate where you want your life to go,” Chieppe said.

Next year, Chieppe looks forward to having new experiences and growing as an individual.

“I’m really excited to be able to pave my own pathway and not have it set by other people and other standards,” Chieppe said.

Growing up, education was always at the forefront of senior Billy Song’s mind. She said that pursuing higher education is, in many ways, a testament to her parents’ sacrifices and constant support.

“My parents came from Asia to give us an opportunity to have a better education,” Song said. “My mom has always been super focused on education for all of us, which encouraged me to do better in school and want to continue with college. I think overall it’s important to go to college because it’s preparing you for adulthood.”

As a first-generation student, Song said she faced difficulties during the college application process due to the limited access to resources and guidance compared to her peers.

“The whole application process was a little confusing,” Song said. “Because I am the middle child, I just went off of what my older brother did. I also didn’t have a college counselor… so I just feel like the people around me knew more about the whole process, especially seeing other people getting in because of legacy. It’s just different from my experience being a first-generation student.”

Heading to the University of Miami next fall, Song looks forward to the college experience and pursuing an engineering major.

“I’m really excited, and I feel at ease knowing that this is the right path for me,” Song said. “Because my parents focused on me and my siblings’ education, being able to go to college and be done with it is so exciting. I’m most excited to just learn specific things with my major as well.”