Tag: Minority

How Do I Fit In?

How Do I Fit In?

636049135885966477344210255_keep-calm-because-i-m-going-to-college

2017 thus far, has been a roller-coaster already (and it has only been 32 days into the year!). Whether it has been the effect of the start of new classes in the semester or the new presidential transition or other things, I think it is agreeable that last month has been quite interesting.

Identity is critical at this point in time. We must have pride of who we are and the roles we play in society. Especially at Loyola University, we strive for equality in all realms, regardless of any backgrounds (faith, ethnicity, orientation, income…).

 

This is a link to Dr. Rooney’s message regarding this:

http://www.luc.edu/president/stories/archive/ourcommitmenttodiversity.shtml

 

As you begin your new journey here at Loyola this fall semester, I want to personally tell you that you can feel comfortable here, you will have resources that can help you, and you will be able to live that “college life” free from the other things in the outside world. Ultimately, we SUPPORT you!


6359097249784036342115885917_balloon

If you are a male, minority, low-income, commuter, or first-generation student (any or all!), this blog post can give you more insight into what to expect as you make your transition to Loyola in the future.

This my personal insight. It might not be accurately relatable, but it may give you another perspective to what others such as myself see things.

Male:  There is slightly a larger percentage of females than males. For me at least, I wouldn’t mind this! There has not been nothing substantial to discuss about this; gender is not a huge problem around LUC. We all get along well together.

Minority: According to the Freshman class (2015) statistics, 44% of the students are of color. This means that there are 56% of other students who still make up the class population. Sometimes, I do feel a little different than the others, especially since I come from a Vietnamese refugee family, but I luckily found support from Achieving College Excellence (ACE) to help support and guide me through my years at LUC.

Despite that being the case, the majority of the students do have interest in studying-abroad and/or participate in cultural events or ethnic clubs. It is visible to see that LUC students have an open-mind and sense of adventure to explore different cultures and customs.

Low-income: In all honesty, I believe that I was very fortunate to attend a private, Catholic, and non-profit school. I could have attended a community college and saved money, but because of my academic achievements and scholarships I was awarded, LUC education became affordable. Of course, there are sacrifices– I commute instead of living on campus, I bring lunch from home, I rent books or borrow from the Chicago Public Library instead of buying, etc, I take out loans, apply for federal aid assistance, and so much more.

Altogether, in the 2015 Freshman class:  97% of freshmen received need-based financial assistance &  95% of freshmen received institutional grants/scholarships.

Commuter: If this is you, I give you a high-five! I have made 2 blog posts specifically on commuting and again, I’ll say this again: You are truly a warrior and you have courage! I do not want to discourage anyone from the commute life, but Chicago weather is more unique than most cities and public transportation (CTA) is quite interesting.  Nevertheless, you have SUPPORT! We have an amazing resource for you (that I use too): Commuter and Off-Campus Student Life. They are an amazing group of people, you get free coffee and tea, food discounts ONLY for commuters, etc. Ultimately, for me, I save money by traveling instead of dorming.

First-Generation Student: This section, I feel most passionate about. As I have said previously, I come from a Vietnamese refugee family. The support I receive from them is different to the kind of support non-first-generation students get. My family may not understand what American higher-level education is like and might not have higher connections to help me in careers and such. Personally, I also have other responsibilities at home that require my help, either translating things, managing paperwork, etc.

 


I’ll end this with a good quote for you all that may be a little nervous about this new transition to college:

“Promise me you’ll always remember that you’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” -Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

Achieving College Excellence

Achieving College Excellence

logo


Achieving College Excellence...what a wonderful, fancy. and scholarly title for a blog post, right? Hopefully I got your attention! For this week, I am directing my focus to all of you first-generation, low-income, and/or minority prospective LUC students.

Achieving College Excellence, or ACE, is an amazing nationally recognized and funded TRIO program that puts emphasis and attention to students who need additional help to catch up with other students who may be more fortunate and/or more able to get by with their lives.

TRIO- the root TRI pertaining to the number 3- is what makes up this specific student body: (1) first-generation (2) low-income (3) minority. If you fit into any or all of these requirements, then you may qualify to become an ACE scholar. I, myself, am an ACE scholar, fitting in all 3 categories, and because of this group, I am proud to be all 3 of those things

.160417_WOE_AchievingCollegeExcellenceScholarsRecognitionCeremony_FRENDREIS_21-828x322

Why am I proud? Even though all 3 of these categories are, in a way, limiting my opportunities that I can do in my life, they give me something that others more fortunate don’t have.

EXPERIENCE. HUMILITY. SELF-DISCIPLINE.

Experience is one of the biggest things that make ACE scholars unique. We come from all different backgrounds- ethnicity, personal hardships, and so much more. Our lives are different, yet unique, compared to others who may be more fortunate; we have experiences that have molded us to be the people that we are, whether it is being first-generation and having parents who do not know English or being low-income and living a more simplistic, raw lifestyle. Experience separates us from those who are aware of this struggles and hardships from those who physically live it everyday.

Thus, people who have experienced these type of things surely have some humility in them. As ACE scholars, we can connect with one another better because we live similar lives. We do not complain nor boast about what kind of lifestyles we live; rather, we are here as a community to support one another and make sure we are on the right path to success as LUC students.

Self-discipline is one of the most challenging things, in my opinion, that is an outcome of being in ACE. The main goals of being in ACE, is to help students succeed in their academics and ultimately obtain a bachelor’s degree diploma. ACE provides several services and it is up the the student to take advantage of it for example, advising, tutoring, and fulfilling other ACE membership requirements. It may sometimes be hard to make sure everything is on track, especially when there is a lot to balance.

This fall semester is my first official year being in ACE and after 7 months of familiarity, I can only say great things about this group. I wish I knew about it and joined it my freshman year, so here I am writing to all of you who qualify for this group, to take advantage!


For more information, please visit the LUC ACE site:
http://www.luc.edu/ace/

ace-home-center