As a first generation college student, I entered school with a feeling of not belonging socially.

Lindsa is the headmaster at Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester, MA.

As a first generation college student, I entered school with a feeling of not belonging socially. While my school was wonderful in retrospect, I struggled with fitting in to a particularly non-diverse community. The first year, I took the red line home every night, despite the fact that I had a room on campus. It wasn’t until the second year of my college experience that I began to develop meaningful connections and a true sense of belonging. I loved learning and worked very hard to develop the skills necessary for me to make the most of my college experience.

The skills I employed included agility, goal setting, grit, leadership, networking and teamwork. By my second year of college, I was in a number of study groups for collaborative learning, friend groups for socialization, and leading classroom instruction as part of my practicum. I had developed meaningful relationships with my advisor, my professors and educational professionals, hence contributing to a broader, deeper understanding of who I had become. This was very transformational because instead of losing myself in a new culture and climate, I adapted and transitioned into a well-rounded individual.

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