From applying to college to navigating the corporate world in an engineering technical role, those who identify as first-generation face many obstacles and unique challenges. It is even rarer for first-generation students to study engineering and earn an engineering degree. According to First Gen NASPA, in 2015, 56-59% of undergraduate students in the United States were the first in their family to hold a bachelor’s degree. Another study from Cornell University states that every year 10% and 15% of the incoming undergraduate and graduate engineering class, respectively, are first generation in their families. With little to no role models and a lack of parental knowledge, first-generation individuals have adapted to become driven and independent, but there are undercurrents that many may not realize.
In my personal experience, like many first-generation STEM and engineering graduates, I learned to adjust to the academic commitments, obtaining financial aid, and achieving work-life balance well before my years in industry — so well, in fact, that it was an almost seamless transition when joining the workforce. However, I soon realized that I left behind a support system that I grew more disconnected from every day. I could tell that, although my communication skills had improved my confidence and evolved from inheriting corporate lingo, the everyday conversations I had were not what they used to be. I found that I had to code switch between the highly technical language I used during work hours to friends outside of the STEM fields to family members speaking in different languages during the holidays. And of course there is the dreaded question of, “What do you do for work?” or “How’s your job?” — a question that you may not have a context of how it should be explained.
Within the first-gen community, talking with family and/or loved ones about engineering degrees or white collar roles can be a sensitive subject. The conversations can be met with positivity for achieving higher education or a better socioeconomic lifestyle beyond the previous generation. Or they can be met with isolation for their lack of knowledge in this career area and maybe even inferiority for having a college or graduate degree. Many first-gen individuals have also felt the lifelong urge to fulfill the expectation of their loved ones that may be skewed to be single tracked due to the lack of knowledge in other career fields. For example, if you intend to get a degree in civil engineering, the general mindset is that your only career path is to be a civil engineer. However in today’s modern workforce, there are many versatile career paths in any field. It is up to the individual whether they want to connect with family and loved ones about their career paths and the varying roads to acceptance.
One of our Affinity Group (AG) members, Laura S., shared her perspective on talking about the positive discussions and outcomes of getting through to them, “[Parents] understood when I wanted to be an astronaut, pilot, and engineer…So I had lots of encouragement even if they didn’t know how to help…My siblings don’t really know what I do exactly except ‘design airplanes.’ My oldest sister and I had a great conversation about turbine engines, and as she has always been good at fixing cars, she grasped the concepts right off.”
For those who are current and prospective first-gen students who are about to enter college or the workforce, here are some tips on how to navigate these conversations with loved ones:
- Keep it simple on what you are going into.
- Don’t push or get mad. They are looking out for your best interests within the unknown.
- Try to relate to everyday common familiarities and scenarios to explain what you are going to do or study.
- Don’t hide your struggles. They may not be able to identify with them, but it helps them to know that you also have challenges.
- Don’t try to force the conversation if they are not curious to know more. Sometimes all the details are not important.
Bianca M. adds, “If you can show the end result of what you work on (even as part of a large team) and the impact it has on others, that will help them appreciate what you are doing.” And be sure not to force the conversation if they choose not to know more.
Overall, we have come a long way from when women were oppressed from receiving an education and driving achievements in the engineering world. But it is important to remember that vulnerability and opening up about struggles on how to deal with them may inspire others to overcome their barriers.
Keep in touch with the First-Generation Students and Professionals community by joining our Facebook Group or subscribing to our AG’s updates by logging into your member portal and editing your Communication Preferences.
