“Ponte las pilas.” It is a saying that most of us Hispanic kids heard growing up from the adults in our lives, especially when it came to talking about academics, that means step it up or hang in there. Growing up as a first-generation student is already hard. We always have to prove ourselves in everything, and we feel the pressure to become something great after all the sacrifices our parents made for us. Especially as the first one in the family to go to college, having to deal with all the pressures of experiencing a new and unique chapter on your own, and on top of that, having to deal with all the other pressures and setbacks as a minority isn’t always the easiest thing. But that’s exactly why, during times like Hispanic Heritage Month, we are reminded of how proud we should be about facing our difficulties, especially in new settings like going to college, and repping where we are from with pride to further connect with our people.
People like Cynthia Sandoval, a first-generation Latina who is a Junior at TCU and a Biology major, have dealt with and still experience what it means to be a Latina in college. One thing is for certain: finding sisterhood with her sorority, Sigma Lambda Alpha (SLA), has made her experience a lot more manageable and comforting.
For instance, like many other first-generation students, at times it can seem very isolating to be in a place that you are not familiar with. Especially with people who come from different backgrounds or maybe grew up with different ideals, figuring out who you may connect with can seem difficult. Cynthia mentions how, especially in Hispanic culture, we are so used to all being together, especially in meal settings, having a bunch of food on the table, everyone talking to each other, and being really present in the moment, just taking in the overall experience of being close to each other while sharing a meal. But through her values and traditions of being with people and sharing a meal, she has been able to feel isolated and translate those cultural elements into reaching out to friends to share a meal and cooking something that all her friends can share and bond over.
Especially with having a sisterhood with the women from SLA, she feels even more seen. She expresses how even before she considered being a Señorita or member herself, she always felt the kindness and motivation the girls radiated. Overall, the group has helped her feel seen and given her people who can continue to help her strive for greatness and eventually give back to the communities that helped shape her.
Cynthia, along with her sorority sisters, continues to reflect on the strong and hard-working values that they grew up with. Also, being a Community Scholar, she joined other organizations that helped her represent those ideals and provide for the community that once served her. From being a tutor through her Upward Bound program at Texas Wesleyan and being an ambassador and member for TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) ambassador/member, an Upward Bound tutor and member, along with all the other major clubs she is in, being involved in her community is important to stay connected since she can do what someone once did for her.
Through all her involvement, she was able to expand her identity as a first-generation Latina and as a student, overall. Like many of us, she can admit that her academic journey at TCU was all over the place, specifically when it came to her cultural identity. Especially with her being pre-med and things not going according to plan, she felt overwhelmed and questioned whether she was doing enough. But with her hardworking mindset and passion to succeed, she states she has overcome and continues to overcome those feelings of falling short or imposter syndrome by seeking motivation through her peers and being someone who is able to represent her people and put a good name out there.
Finding our place in college can be hard, and on top of that, working to represent and express our culture is another added struggle that we, as First Generation Latinos, have to deal with. Cynthia is one of the many inspiring stories of how our culture produces strong-willed and dedicated people. She emphasizes that no matter how behind we might feel compared to others, we must reflect and understand that every one of us has our own strengths, and we can all be leaders in our communities. Whether that be behind the scenes or the main one trying to represent us, we are still doing better for ourselves and the amazing people we can call familia.