"Put Yourself Out There"
"You never know who can help you, and later in life they can still help. If you shut out people, you're going to be by yourself. Network, lean, connect, and talk to people. You can't go through high school staying to yourself. Colleges these days are looking for well-rounded people. So get out of the shell and put yourself out there." --Eric Polk, Wake Forest University

"College Is Attainable"
"Stepping foot on a college campus as a high school student puts you that much closer to your goals. You can only go after things that you know about, that's the thing. You visit a college, and maybe you don't like that one-- but you find something there that's interesting that you could possibly get into. Maybe they have a publication on campus that you thought was really cool. Maybe they have a nice hangout spot. It makes it more tangible. Something that you can grasp and build on. It shows you college is attainable." --Niema Jordan, Northwestern University

"Better and Better"
"I met my boyfriend in ninth grade, and he wasn't into school. He ended up getting his GED 'cause he didn't graduate, and then I tried to talk him into community college here. He struggled with the same exact things I did: 'What if I'm not up to the level?' or 'I don't think I'm smart enough.' I'm like, 'No, you're smart enough, I know it, I believe you!' Finally I went down there and applied with him. He got a scholarship, and he's been going to school ever since. He's so smart, and I'm so proud of him ... he keeps getting better and better at school."  -- Jackie Comminello, Community College of Denver

"Reach for More"
"My identity in my house, 'cause I come from a big family, is 'The one that goes to college. The one that's trying to do something for her life.' My brother's the one with the three kids who lives with us. My other sister's the single mother raising two kids on her own. My other sister's only 19 with a one-year-old son. The other one is working in food services, the same job like my mother. Everybody looks at me. They're proud of me. Just to know that somebody is proud of you makes you reach even more."
-- Aileen Rosario, Montclair State University

All quotes statements from the book First in the Family: Advice About College from First-Generation Students (Next Generation Press, www.nextgenerationpress.org).