My name is Alondra Aguilera, my pronouns are she/they. I am currently in my last year of college. My major is Pre-K - 12 education and I am minoring in music.

What is some advice you have for other first-gen students? 

Definitely ask questions to the people around you, especially university staff. That’s what has helped me a lot. Making yourself a little group of friends that you can go to. Having those resources always helps a lot. Never be afraid to ask anything.

What is the best way to find resources?

Sometimes universities will have an orientation or something like that. Sometimes through those orientations they’ll give you little pamphlets with what to do or who you can call. Sometimes just reaching out to one of the many phone numbers they give you might give you a solution.

What inspired you to further your education?

Education was always something that was on our minds. It was a priority. But for me I also just wanted to teach. I wanted to be a teacher, so even to do that you have to get a college education. Getting to my end goal of teaching has really been a motivator.

How did you discover your passion for teaching? 

Being able to see what my teachers did in my high school and my middle school classrooms as well inspired me to pursue that. At first I wanted to teach music, so I tried that out my first semester. It wasn’t really my thing, but I still knew I wanted to teach.

I always say it’s okay to change your mind about something. So I changed my mind about my whole track of education. I didn’t end up wanting to do music. I had a kind of existential crisis for a moment, and that’s okay, just talk through it with people who support you. You have a bunch of options and it’s never too late and you can always pursue more than one degree!

What obstacles have you faced during college?

A big obstacle for me during college has been mental health. I’ve dealt with a lot of anxiety. My first semester of college I didn’t really know what I was doing. I didn’t really enjoy what I was studying at that time. I kind of enjoyed it, but not as rigorously as I was taught I guess. So I was just having massive anxiety to the point where it affected me physically. That was a major hurdle I had to get through. I still have to get through it today, but at WSU we have resources like our counseling and prevention services. I’ve been able to get therapy and it’s been really helpful. Making sure I take care of myself as well outside of studying and my social life.