A New First Step for First-Generation Terps

When Margarita Salazar Giron ’27 arrived at the University of Maryland’s campus last fall, she quickly realized the truth of what has become a saying among first-generation Terps: You don’t know what you don’t know about college.

“When you’re the first person in your family to go to college, simple questions like ‘How does the dining plan work?’ or ‘Am I taking too many credits?’ are things other people know from their families that we don’t,” said Salazar Giron.

Now, a new student organization will help UMD’s first-generation college students—some 20% of undergraduates, or over 6,100 students—navigate the ins and outs of university life and find community with other students in the same situation. The First-Generation Student Association officially launched this semester.

“We really want to make our organization a safe place for people to ask questions and to know that we’re here for them,” said Salazar Giron, the group’s secretary.

Chantelle Smith, assistant director of recruitment and inclusive communities in UMD’s Honors College, spearheaded the creation of the organization starting last year. Once a first-generation college student herself, she knew how much students who lacked family experience with higher education were at a disadvantage when it came to the nitty-gritty of college life, and wanted to help create a student group that would be a resource specifically for them.

Last year, Smith began gauging student interest in such a group, and found it was strong. She interviewed students for the six-person executive board, and the small team began meeting last spring. The group is housed in the Honors College but is open to all Terps, and has partnered with units like the Dean of Students office and the Office of Family Engagement to expand its reach.

Already, the association has hosted a webinar for incoming freshmen that drew some 50 participants and held a networking event—a skillset that President Angelina Hermosilla Roman ’27 hopes the group can help students develop. She noted that students whose parents and grandparents attended college often have personal networks that first-generation students lack.

“When I started college, I had no idea how to go about getting internships or speaking to prospective employers,” she said.

Salazar Giron hopes that the group will become a place where first-generation students can share what they’ve learned—and their experiences—with each other. “We really want to make a community where people can get to know each other and rely on their peers,” she said. “So many of us are confused or lost. If you can find other people going through the same thing as you, you may not feel as lonely.”