Celebrando Hispanic Heritage: First generation student shares her experience attending university

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- "I'm a Latino immigrant and I'm studying. And I'm not doing anything illegal. I'm not a criminal, and I'm doing things that many people wish they could do." 

Silvia Brito Mondragon has a big dream, and a simple message. Brito wants to study medicine and become an OBGYN. As a junior at Notre Dame, she is already the president of the Latino Medical Student Association and has worked as a scribe for an OBGYN in Houston. 

Immigrating from Venezuela to Houston in 2018 was a large cultural change. Going to college and being a first-generation student has created its own additional challenges.  

"Theres's people who don't know that path, or don't have somebody like their parent to help with that path. You're always gonna see that difference because it's always like, 'oh I didn't know about that how'd you find out,' and they respond, "oh my mom.'" 

Navigating paperwork, college applications, and everything else needed to move across the country comfortably can be difficult if your parents don't know how to prepare. Luckily, Brito's parents can help with some things, having been college educated in Venezuela. 

The classes, culture, and context are different between the colleges in the two countries. As for Brito's parents, they would have to redo their engineering and dentistry degrees to be able to work in the U.S., but Brito firmly believes they made the right choice coming here. 

"I do think that I'm having the opportunity to have a better life here. I do think so."

College can break generational barriers, no matter the program, location or rank. Brito says it's thanks to a scholarship program for high-achieving students from low-income families that she has been able to attend college stress free; solving one of the many problems first-gen students face. 

"I was super scared of applying to college, but I was so grateful and so everything to have the opportunity to apply to Questbridge. That's how I made it here-to the University of Notre Dame- through Questbridge. And I think that was one of my happiest moments.  I didn't even know where I was going. If I could show you the video of my reaction, I was just happy to go to college." 

Some of the challenges first generation students face includes not knowing who to reach out to or being afraid to reach out to people, resulting in missed opportunities. Another is the stigma that they aren't as smart or hardworking and were only accepted to meet a quota. 

"We worked just as hard as anybody else would to get to where we want to be. I don't think it's because somebody wanted to reach a quota...they could've just not accepted somebody...but they did because we showed how much we work on this" 

While in class, Brito still worries about family back home. When large earthquakes hit Venezuela and Colombia, she didn't hear from some of her family for days. In addition, she says there are misconceptions about her home country. 

"I'm not doing anything wrong; there's not a reason you should think every Latino is a criminal because that's not true. If they're coming here, it's because they're looking for something better, not because they want to take your job or bring crime to your country. No. We're looking for something better in life." 

Brito says she thinks Notre Dame does a good job of accommodating students of different backgrounds and celebrating all cultures. And hopes to help other first-gen students find their path.

"I feel like my best way to pay it forward is to give all the knowledge I know. I love sharing knowledge; lack of knowledge is what leads you nowhere. We all need knowledge even if it's just asking somebody or searching it up. That's the best I could do."