The biggest obstacle Giuseppe Gordillo-Terreros faced going to college wasn’t the apprehension of move-in or the first day of classes: It was the application process. As the first person in his family to go to a four-year university, he found it very challenging to navigate the lengthy paperwork, including applying for FAFSA.
“I relied a lot on people who were there to help me in high school," said Gordillo-Terreros, a junior pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree in architecture. "Without them, I probably wouldn't even be here at UMD."
Gordillo-Terreros' experience is relatable to the over 6,100 students at the University of Maryland who are “firsts” in their family. With one of the largest first-generation student populations on campus, the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation recognized the need for a different set of supports and guidance to help them find success. Last week’s First Generation “Emerging Professionals” Career Panel, hosted by the school’s student services team and the student organization Women in Architecture, connected students with first-gen graduates for a conversation about navigating college and professional life after graduation.
"I think seeing people in the workforce doing the things that students might want to do in the future is helpful to see," said student services Program Manager Lena Redisch. "Getting more resources and connections with as many people as possible who have been in their shoes can help them navigate towards their end goals."
Below, UMD alums Irving Bravo and Daniel Massillon and Quinn Evans employees Kiruthika Balasubramanian and Saakshi Terway share their take on handing imposter syndrome, investing in mentorship and more as first-generation students.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. When students are having a difficult time completing an assignment or task, they should not hesitate to ask as many questions as possible, said Terway, a project designer for Quinn Evans.
“If you feel like you're struggling with a situation, communicate with your professor,” Terway said. “They are there to help you become better architects, and they're not getting any pleasure out of telling you you're not doing something right or you're not good.”
Even if they are afraid to ask questions in class or in a group setting, Terway suggests that students take advantage of office hours to understand how they can improve and meet their professors' expectations.
Prioritize internal validation to combat imposter syndrome. Although receiving praise about your work from a professor or supervisor can help you overcome imposter syndrome, Balasubramanian, an architect at Quinn Evans, emphasized that you cannot always wait for external validation to prove that you're good at what you do.
"You know what you study," Balasubramanian said. "You spend years studying it. So, don't underestimate your own potential."
Seek out mentors who are willing to support you. Massillon believes that having a mentor who is willing to train you and provide feedback is essential. As a project engineer for Davis Construction, Massillon says that mentors should not micromanage and babysit you. Instead, they should help you grow by reviewing your work and providing constructive criticism about ways to improve.
“It might not be the best advice that they're giving you, but at least they informed you that it might not have been the best work you could have done,” Massillon said
Embrace your native language. Bravo's parents did not speak English while he was growing up, so he always communicated with them in Spanish. Now, as an intern architect at Flanagan Architects, Bravo is using his native language in professional settings. He shared that speaking Spanish has been beneficial in his role, especially when he and his boss visit job sites and interact with Hispanic painters, electricians and plumbers.
"My parents always told me that knowing two languages is worth more than one person knowing one language," said Bravo, who shared his pride in representing the firm and the Hispanic community at the event.
Find community. As a founding member of one of MAPP's newest student organizations, Latinx Architects United, one of the things that Bravo wishes he had known when he came to college was the importance of finding a group of people he could bond with and share ideas with at the school.
"I felt like during my first few years in the program, I didn't really like to stick around to talk to many people after class or studio," he said. "It wasn't until senior year that I actually did; I would stay around with my friends to work on things, bouncing ideas off of each other and just bond."
The University of Maryland offers many resources to help first-generation students to find community and navigate college. Visit the university’s First-Gen Terps website to learn more.