Author Archives: Trinh

What are the benefits of going to a HBCU as an African American first generation student?

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What are the benefits of going to a HBCU as an African American first generation student? In 1856, the first historical black college and university (HBCUs) was built. HBCUs started to open up to help encourage more African Americans to attend college. When it comes to choosing a college, students must factor in their values and beliefs. Many HBCUs administration and faculties enjoy helping students who have low income or even if they are first generation college students. They also help students who are dealing with stress or anxiety because having good mental health is very important. The HBCUs community has always created a safe place for their students. HBCUs are predominantly Black but they are open to every student. 

Many first generation students and low income students who attend a HBCU struggle to fit in. This is one of the many barriers they must face in order to pursue an educational degree at a college or university. Williams wrote many articles about her experiences at a HBCU. In one of her articles, she spoke about how “Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) faculty and administrators employed to create inclusive and supportive environments for populations often marginalized in US higher education—especially low-income and first-generation college students” (William). William is explaining that most HBCUs are often seen as an isolation compared to other colleges or universities. Many faculty and administrators want first generation college students and those who have low income to settle in a new environment that feels included and nurturing. HBCUs goal is to support those who are struggling to belong there as well as financially. By building a safe place for first generation students and low income students, they have a better success rate. 

Another factor that plays into an African American college student’s success is having good mental health. Studies have shown that many students who attend a college or university will be overwhelmed at some point in their journey. Stress is a common symptom of having anxiety. It is normal for students to have stress, but stress won’t be healthy for the long run. Wilkinson wrote a journal called The Association of Unmet Social and Emotional Support Needs with Race/Ethnicity among College Students in the United States which talks about a student’s mental health. He talked about how his recent research “shows anxiety and depression to be the most prevalent forms of mental health concerns amongst college students followed by suicide, eating disorders, and substance abuse” (Wilkinson). Wilkinson is illustrating how having a bad mental health can impact a student’s life. Rice and ethnicity also plays a big role because many people often judge someone by their looks which can destroy their mental health. Another factory that could have played into a student’s mental health is workload or environment. At HBCU, faculty and administrators want to prevent this from happening to their students. They offer many open sessions with students who are dealing with anxiety or depression alone. Having symptoms such as depression, stress, or anxiety can lead to a bad diet, suicidal thoughts, or even drugs. This means by providing students with the help they need, it could be another reason to help them get closer to success. 

Most first generation college students who have good mental health tend to graduate at a higher percentage rate. Even with financial issues throughout their college career, they have managed to graduate college with a degree. Now, not all first generation college students graduate. Strayhorn wrote an article analyzing college students and their graduation rate depending on their colleges or universities. According to Strayhorn, “Similar to what happens at predominantly White institutions (PWIs), not all students who enter HBCUs complete their degree” (Strayhorn). Strayhorn is demonstrating that every college student has different struggles whether that be fitting in, having a hard time comprehending, or outside issues. HBCUs offer many opportunities for college students to help them become successful in their own ways. They have created many programs to keep their students engaged in their field. HBCUs want all their students to graduate.

The first step into being closer to graduating is by getting involved with their community. When a student is feeling comfortable and safe in an environment, it is telling faculty and administrators that they are doing an excellent job. Taylor and William both worked on an article together called Critical Sensemaking: A Framework for Interrogation, Reflection, and Coalition Building toward More Inclusive College Environments. They spoke about their own experiences about the environment at a HBCU. Taylor mentions “given the oppressive nature of higher education environments, educators must support students in making sense of their experiences” (Taylor and William). Taylor and William are explaining that most professors at HBCU support their students from school work to recommendations for programs or clubs. Students are also encouraged to go to football games or events as a way to support their HBCUs. Many faculty and administrators including academic advisors want every student at HBCU to feel inclusive. 

HBCUs are predominantly Black institutions who inspire others to be great one day. They challenge their students everyday to put them up for success. Williams has been at a HBCU for more than a decade. She has been working on an article that talks about the experiences of black communities to help promote black students’ success. She talked about “HBCU administrators and faculty members build upon the lived experiences of Black communities to help to promote Black students’ success” (William). One of the most important goals HBCU stands for is to protect Black students’ success. HBCU was open for this reason because not many African Americans were attending college. Their goal is to give African American an equal opportunity as everyone else.

HBCUs are a great choice of college or university. This will definitely benefit many college students especially for those who are first generation, African Americans, or come from a low income family. Many faculty and administrators want all their students to participate or get involved with their community. They also offer many programs and clubs to help students get real world experiences or to even help them with their health. By maintaining good health as well as school work, many students that attended HBCUs will become very successful in the future.

 

Citation Page

  • Williams, Krystal L., et al. “Meeting at the Margins: Culturally Affirming Practices at HBCUs for Underserved Populations.” Higher Education (00181560), vol. 84, no. 5, Nov. 2022, pp. 1067–87. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00816-w. Article.
  • Wilkinson, Larrell, et al. “The Association of Unmet Social and Emotional Support Needs with Race/Ethnicity among College Students in the United States.” College Student Journal, vol. 56, no. 3, Sept. 2022, pp. 238–58. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=s3h&AN=159963677&site=eds-live&scope=site. Journal.
  • Strayhorn, Terrell L. “Analyzing the Short-Term Impact of a Brief Web-Based Intervention on First-Year Students’ Sense of Belonging at an HBCU: A Quasi-Experimental Study.” Innovative Higher Education, vol. 48, no. 1, Feb. 2023, pp. 1–13. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-021-09559-5. Article.
  • Taylor, Leonard D., and Krystal L. Williams. “Critical Sensemaking: A Framework for Interrogation, Reflection, and Coalition Building toward More Inclusive College Environments.” Education Sciences, vol. 12, no. 12, Dec. 2022, p. 877. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12120877. Article. 
  • Williams, Krystal L., et al. “Centering Blackness: An Examination of Culturally-Affirming Pedagogy and Practices Enacted by HBCU Administrators and Faculty Members.” Innovative Higher Education, vol. 46, no. 6, Dec. 2021, pp. 733–57. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-021-09562-w. Article.
  • MARC MORIAL. “HBCUs Needed More than Ever; Black Colleges Provide Leadership and Opportunities.” Charlotte Post, The (NC), 4 June 2009. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=edsnbk&AN=128B06396AEAC160&site=eds-live&scope=site. News.
  • Edmonson, Jasmine. “Louisiana State University.” Welcome to LSU, a Top Research University, https://www.lsu.edu/intlpro/apa/blog_posts/2021/hbcus_a_brief_history.php#:~:text=of%20HBCU%20Connect-,Historically%20Black%20Colleges%20and%20Universities%20(HBCUs)%20are%20public%20and%20private,them%20during%20slavery%20and%20segregation. Website.

University of Southern California

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Summary

The University of Southern California strives to be the best in the country. Their ideal student would bring plenty of creativity and ideas that could help grow their community. Their website has many pictures and videos that show the student’s involvement and connection during their journey at USC. The rhetorical strategies they used throughout their pages was Inhabiting and Engaging Social Roles.

Analysis

The University of Southern California draws many students together because of their drive for academic success and achievements. USC attracts their ideal students by setting a standard goal which they can achieve when they attend USC. By obtaining the ideal reader’s view, they show valuable information to the readers including their administration, academics, student life, and community. USC’s goal is to bring as many people together as possible but also make the world a better place. In their homepage, they have three different subsections that includes their projects and programs they have been working on to help others from around the world. In one of the projects USC is working on is called “6 weeks to Mars.” Here, they are working on a versatile rocket engine to send to space so they can gather as much information they can. This could help space research figure out what is on Mars and if there’s any harmful chemical lying around. Another research project UCS has been working on is helping resemble communities in the Indigenous Tsimane and Moseten communities. There are many other programs and projects that USC would love students to join in. USC strives to make this world a better space to live in. They want to make their students feel inclusive and at home. Their purpose is to attract readers so that they can attend their open house or tours. By attending USC, students will not regret their decision.

UCS is ran by the Board of Trustees meaning that the University is powered by the government. The administration of USC are the ones who organize and manage the University. They strive to make the student feel safe and comfortable there. The president of USC is Folt Carol L. She has stated that “The path to advancing human understanding never stops. And USC is a fantastic learning sandbox – a wonderful place for you to learn and discover who you are now, who you’re going to become, and the ways you’ll make your mark on the future” (Carol L.). USC is a great place according to the President. By attending, students can learn and discover many things for their future. A student’s bond with an administration can show how much they appreciate and value USC. 

The USC has a variety of choices when it comes to choosing your academics. In their academics page it states, “We create, innovate, challenge and build new knowledge that impacts lives today –  as we prepare our students to change tomorrow’s world for the better” (Academics). By preparing the students for the world, the world is also prepared to welcome the students. USC has divided their dorms up into sections to help students connect with one another who are also in the same field of study. They also provide an enormous amount of resources for students who are looking for new opportunities or experiences in their field. USC academics standing are very strong. One of their values is focusing on their students’ academics. They want to make sure that all their students have a bright and successful future. They value the importance of working hard while being in extracurriculars involving their majors. There are also many events that students can attend to better understand what college and work is like.

The community of USC is located in the center of Los Angeles. Many of their student life, organization, clubs, and facilities support the community around them. For example, “The Good Neighbors Campaign” was created to raise millions of dollars to support people’s financial problems (Community Relationships). The USC family holds their values strongly because they believe in a student’s potential to grow, learn, and live as an individual. Along with all these organizations, USC has also partnered up with different parts of education to help students achieve their college degree. USC once said “Our dedication to education inspires and motivates these promising students in Los Angeles to “Fight On!”” (Educational Partnerships). The trojans motto is to keep fighting and never give up. They want to give their students hope and opportunities so that they could have a great future. 

Response 

The University of Southern California sounds like an astonishing University to attend. They have definitely caught my attention after bringing up some amazing opportunities as well as what they value. B  While I was scrolling through their website, I saw how dedicated they were in serving the community. It is important to me to have a cherishing community. Many students are involved in different organizations and clubs that can help build the community safer. They also create projects by gathering ideas from one another. Without a loving and comforting community like this, I would not feel comfortable participating. Having an inclusive community who does not push anyone who is different away is a huge sign. UCS also offers a variety of activities and academic choices I could choose from to explore. I believe that having a strong academic stand and also taking part in activities can help me grow as a person. Having myself exposed to many new things can help my experiences for the future. USC showed me how loving their administration can be compared to other Universities. Their administration sounds very open and welcoming which makes me feel like I cannot turn this opportunity away. When I talk about having a strong foundation to build on, UCS can give me that extra boost of confidence. Starting a new journey at a new school can be scary but USC has taught me to “fight on!” I can see myself exploring campus and joining new opportunities to help better my understanding of my major .Overall, USC did a phenomenal job convincing me to attend their University by setting me up for success.

Sources

  • University of Southern California, https://www.usc.edu/. 

Miriam Bergmark

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Miriam Bergmark is a 20 year old student who attends Georgia State University Perimeter College. She expresses her academic self as curious, slow, and patient. Over the courses of her middle school and high school journey, she has learned how important education can be. During our English class, we talked about The New Education. Davidson explained how “The Panic of 1867 dimmed the reputation of the United States education system” (Davidson 19) giving students less hope for an education. Education is important to Miriam because it has helped Miriam understand herself a little bit better. She wants to strive for her goals but the reputation of education is making her second guess her choice. Miriam’s goal is to help others as much as she can as a health scientist. Her biggest influencer is her grandfather. He has taught her many things throughout the course of his lifetime. He is her biggest supporter when it comes to working hard in school. Sometimes when she struggles to learn the material, she would communicate with her grandfather for some advice.

Miriam enjoys learning new materials at school but it takes time for her to digest the new concept. She is very patient with herself when it comes to her studies. Miriam is taking English, qualitative reasoning, anatomy, anatomy lab, and US government at GSU Perimeter College. Her favorite subject in school is anatomy but she does enjoy taking any other science classes. Her love for anatomy started when she was in middle school going to high school in Sweden.

Before she attended Perimeter College, Miriam attended elementary and middle school in Sweden. She went to a private school during her 6th-9th grade. The school that Miriam went to was very well rounded and they helped many international students including her. Miriam said “schools in Sweden are vastly similar to the ones here in the United States.” During her 9th grade year, many students were already applying for universities. She said “students would either apply for universities or go straight into a university.” Miriam’s favorite thing to do was having regular conversations with some of her teachers and professors. She said it helped her tremendously because it was helping her build a connection between her and her professors. Before Miriam and Miriam’s family decided to move, she had learned two different languages, Swedish and English. Miriam’s family moved to the United States because her dad got into a program at a university in America. 

Miriam and her family moved from Sweden to Florida. She started to attend a public High School in Florida. She chose psychology and history as her major while she was in high school. During High School, she participated in track, running the 100 meter sprint. She stated that “running felt like all my problems had lifted away.” After High School, she wanted to continue her studies at Perimeter College because it was a cheaper option. Right before she started her journey at Perimeter College, she took a gap year. This was the year covid had happened. She wanted a normal college experience instead of doing it online. Her plans after graduating from Perimeter College is to go to Georgia State University Atlanta Campus to continue her studies as a cardiovascular perfusionist or as a health science. Miriam is very thankful to have experienced this wonderful journey with her family.

If Miriam had never moved to the United States, she wouldn’t be telling her story today. Besides attending school, Miriam enjoys riding horses in her free time. She enjoys doing what she loves during her free time because it helps her relieve some of her stress from school. Miriam is excited for her new journey as a college student.

Citation:

Trinh Bui interviewed Miriam Bergmark

Davidson, Cathy N. The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World Flux. 2nd ed., Basic Books, 2017.