19552 GW Mag 26_Final_singles - Flipbook - Page 22
Liu directs First Steps Forward, a 昀椀rst-gen podcast.
Over the next few years, his parents moved frequently.
They rented house space to other families while carving out
their own makeshift bedrooms in garages and staircase nooks.
“I was like Harry Potter,” Liu joked.
On his ninth birthday—his first in the U.S.—Liu didn’t
expect presents or a cake. But after walking miles to
Walmart for kitchen supplies, his mother arranged tea
candles on a tray in the shape of a nine. “That was ever so
unforgettable for me—having that little bit of a celebration,”
said Liu, remembering how he turned his head so his
mother wouldn’t see him cry.
In his elementary school, classmates “looked at me as if
they’d never seen an Asian person before,” Liu said. At home,
his parents relied on him for translating phone calls and
paperwork. At times, he resented the extra responsibilities.
But he saw the chores as “something I needed to carry out
because they moved for me,” he said.
By high school, college seemed like a realistic path. His
parents—both educated in China—never pressured him, but
he sensed their expectations. When he applied to schools,
“my parents were . . . definitely more stressed than I was,” he
laughed, “and they were happier about me getting into GW.”
For 8.2 million first-generation college students nationwide,
Liu’s challenges are deeply familiar. Without guidance from
family who attended college, tasks like registering for classes
or moving into dorms can be daunting. Beyond financial
22 | www.columbian.gwu.edu
strains and adjusting to life away from home, many balance
family obligations while battling isolation and imposter
syndrome. According to the National Center for Education
Statistics, about one-third drop out within three years—
more than double their peers’ rate—and only 40 percent
graduate within six years. Studies show first-generation
students experience higher rates of mental health struggles
and feelings of not belonging.
First-Gen Pride
While “there is no one look for a first-generation student,”
Sean Watley, program associate for the First-Generation
Program within the Division for Student Affairs, said many
cite finding community as pivotal to their well-being. “There’s
something impactful about having people around you who
went through the same things and can guide you,” he said.
Indeed, Watley noted GW’s first-generation initiatives foster
those connections through programs like Founding Scholars
and First Gen United, which provides services such as
mentorship, textbook exchanges and professional
development opportunities.
On campus, Liu’s early doubts faded as he immersed
himself in the first-generation community. Like many
children of immigrants, he rarely identified with the term,
worried it carried stereotypes and stigma. But he roomed in
