Senior Olivia Medina, who will attend California State University, Long Beach in the fall, said she always knew she would pursue a four-year college education.

As a first-generation student, Medina experienced difficulties during the college application process. Even with help from the College and Career Center, she said she still felt confused.

“It was very frustrating trying to fill out my applications, just because my parents had never gone through it, and so I didn’t have help from them,” Medina said. “I felt like my friends were always more prepared than I was.”

Medina said her parents were emotionally supportive and always left the decision of college up to her.

“I felt like college and going to college and getting good grades have always been my choice,” Medina said. “I’ve never really felt coerced into doing anything, college-wise.”

Medina said she is both scared and excited to step out of her comfort zone. She encouraged future first-generation students to “weigh their options” during the application process.

“I would tell them not to be too hard on themselves, and then to also definitely utilize any resources they can to help them,” Medina said.

Senior Ting Ting Wang said she has been thinking about college since she was young. This fall, Wang will attend the University of California (UC) Berkeley, which was her parents’ “dream school” for her.

“For me, my parents were just drilling, ‘Oh, good college. Good college.’ That was it, just the phrase ‘good college,’” Wang said.

Wang said she relied on herself during parts of the college application process, such as taking the SAT and finding tutors. Still, she received support from upperclassmen whom she met through sports and Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

“I would reach out to them, and then they would help me out. They would give me general tips and advice through their lens,” Wang said.

Excited to attend UC Berkeley, Wang said her family toured the campus five times.

“I’m most excited to honestly branch out and join a bunch of clubs,” Wang said. “Of course, rigor would be difficult, but I’m excited to meet new people.”

Looking back, Wang advises students to look beyond resume-building and focus on meeting new people and pursuing personal interests.

“Your grades don’t define you. Your extracurriculars don’t define you,” Wang said. “Just have fun and do whatever is meaningful to you.”

Senior Alex Rivas Rosales will attend the University of Southern California (USC) in the fall. With the intention of pursuing medical school after graduation, Rivas Rosales said college has always been a part of her plan.

According to Rivas Rosales, the college application process made her feel like an outsider at times. She said she did not understand the importance of AP classes or the SAT until later on in high school.

“A lot of times, I had to ask my peers or my teachers for additional support. So it was just a lot of having to learn how to advocate for myself,” Rivas Rosales said.

Although her parents did not know the details of her coursework or extracurriculars, Rivas Rosales said they still celebrated her efforts.

“[My mom] would clean my room sometimes if it got too messy, and she could tell that I didn’t really have time to do stuff at home,” Rivas Rosales said.

To future first-generation students, Rivas Rosales said not to be afraid to ask for help from teachers and not to doubt themselves during the process.

“Good luck to future first-gen students. Give it your all,” Rivas Rosales said. “If you want it, you’ll get it.”