Here’s How First-Generation Aggies in the College of Arts and Sciences Are Getting a First-Rate Chance at Success

Even though her parents never finished high school, Kimberly Aguilar-Martinez ’26 knows they believe in education.

“My parents always said, ‘Your inheritance is going to be the education we’re able to provide you,’” said the recent psychological and brain sciences graduate. “They wanted me to break the generational cycle and follow my dreams.”

While the Wylie, Texas, resident credits her guidance counselor with helping navigate the college admissions process, coming to Texas A&M University still proved daunting. “I definitely felt a bit lost at times,” she said. “As a first-generation student, there’s a lot of imposter syndrome. Sometimes it felt like everyone else had a plan while you’re still trying to figure it out.”

She’s not the only one. In the College of Arts and Sciences alone, approximately one in every four Aggies is a first-generation college student. “As a land-grant institution, we serve the state, and the state has a lot of talented high school students whose parents didn’t go to college,” said Dr. Christian Brannstrom, the college’s senior associate dean for undergraduate education. “When those students decide to seek their degrees at Texas A&M, we want to meet them where they are and encourage them to thrive and develop to their full potential. That means providing programming and assistance to navigate the university’s complexities.”

Fortunately, the college’s newly launched First 2 Finish program is specifically designed to support these Aggies. It offers workshops, mentoring, small group sessions, team-building events and community engagement opportunities for first-generation students while also augmenting two other college initiatives: the Regents’ Scholars, a university-wide program that supports first-generation Aggies whose family income is less than $40,000; and the Arts & Sciences Leadership Scholars, which offers programming and scholarship support for high-performing first-generation students.

“Through these three initiatives, we have created a strong framework to support first-generation Aggies,” said Brandy Snyder, assistant director of the college’s undergraduate student success team and a first-generation student herself. “We’re aware of the weight of balancing their course load and learning to study while they’re concurrently building new relationships and learning to live independently.”

Many donors are moved by these Aggies’ challenges. Having been first-generation students themselves, Kathy ’90 and Tim Terzis ’89 understand the befuddlement that Aguilar-Martinez, the recipient of their Regents’ Scholarship, faced. “Back then at Texas A&M, it was difficult understanding the registration process for classes because there weren’t advisors,” said Kathy, who was initially a business major but shifted to education. “Even just picking a degree was difficult because I didn’t have anyone to ask. It was like throwing a dart and seeing what stuck.”

Financial challenges can also prove daunting. “Being from small-town farming communities, my wife, Kathy, and I saw how difficult it was for first-generation students to attend college,” said Ronald Wilson ’72. “Many families just couldn’t afford college, and their children were often encouraged to stay in the community.” As a result, the Bryan couple established scholarships that are helping Rocky Rendon ’28 and other Aggies who are part of the Arts & Sciences Leadership Scholars find their footing.

“I didn’t know many of the university’s traditions and history at first, which was overwhelming,” said Rendon, a math major from San Antonio. “The Arts & Sciences Leadership Scholars program helped me get rooted into the culture and meet people through peer mentors and workshops. Now, I feel like an actual student who belongs.”

In the College of Arts and Sciences...