Miranda Hernandez-Leal '27

Major: Secondary Education and English

What was it like being among the first in your family to go to college?

Being the first person in my family to go to college was overwhelming. It was about the time I learned that my mom would be there to support me through my process of applying for college and FASFA, but that I would need to learn how to do this myself with no advice on how to do it or if it was even possible. Overcoming the thoughts that I would likely come to college was the biggest thing I struggled with and I still sometimes don’t think being in college is real. My family helped me be grateful for the amount of support that they gave me through the beginning of the process but as a human, I had many times where I compared myself to others who had parents who had gone through the college process or even older siblings that had gone to college or that it wasn’t the first time I had even heard the word FASFA. Throughout my first year here I learned to accept that there are things that I didn’t know about the college process that I missed, like transferring my credits from high school or that there are so many scholarships. This period taught me that being forgiving to yourself through and through is the biggest thing that you can do to help yourself. 

What does it mean for your personally to be a part of the FGEN community and, specifically, to be a FGEN student ambassador?

The FGEN program is the reason my transition went as well as it did. Knowing that there is a group of people who come with the same background and having that tight community where we all want to help each other is amazing. It was through this program that I realized that I wasn't alone and I want to be apart of that experience for new and incoming FGEN first-year students. It is unexplainable to know that I will be apart of that positive impact at UP.

What is your advice to FGEN students at UP who are facing challenges?

Forgiveness. My biggest advice is to learn to forgive yourself. Take the time to realize that this is your first time navigating life at this age, on this day, and going through college for the first time. It's important to be patient with yourself. Challenges are inevitable, but finding activities you enjoy and surrounding yourself with people you appreciate can make facing these challenges much easier. You don't even need to fully understand the challenge you're facing; simply acknowledging that you're going through something is enough reason to reach out for support. 

Did a mentor play a role in your experience?

YES. I would like to shout out Haniel who is also an FGEN ambassador. He was my mentor for my first year and he was the best mentor I could have ever asked for during that beginning stage. He created a space where I never felt like no question was too dumb or helped me figure out what question to even ask in the first place. There were so many times when I felt that if I had a challenge I was facing I just had to shoot him an email and he would get right back to me with the resources I needed or he knew the answer right away. He played a great part in my experience and helped me so many times, that I would thank him for making that first year a lot smoother. 

What resources have been significant, meaningful or helpful for you so far during your UP experience?

Some of the helpful resources that I used are the Learning Commons so I didn’t fall behind in classes when I just needed that extra help in a certain part of the class and RA’s when I had a random question that needed to be answered as soon as possible or about what is going on in the dorms or around campus.