What Every First-Gen Student Needs to Know About Attending a Predominately White Institution

Dear first-generation, low-income, immigrant high school seniors, You’re about to accomplish a major milestone. Not only have you made your parents proud, but you have…

I’m Headed to Stanford on a Full-Tuition Scholarship and I Have My Public Charter School to Thank for That

“Education is the way out of poverty and into a better life.” For years, my family harped on this mantra in hopes of providing me…

When I Walk Into a School I See Kids Who Remind Me of Myself, Waiting for an Opportunity

Recently I have been thinking about what it means to be in the “education reform” space and reflecting on how I got here. Many of…

Want a Winning High School? You’ll Need a Winning School Board.

In 2016, then-24-year-old Cipriano Vargas became the youngest person ever elected to the Vista Unified School Board in California. After graduating from California State University…

In the Wake of Christchurch, Sanaa Kahloon Refuses to Let Hatred Win

After the recent mass shooting at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, new attention has been called to the fears that Muslims experience every day.…

I’m a DACA Recipient and a First-Generation College Graduate and I’m Nervous About What’s Next

It’s a day I’ll never forget: September 5, 2017, the first day of my senior year at NYU. It was the day the Trump administration…

Getting Into College Is Tough for First-Generation College Students, So I’m Making It a Little Easier

Without the support of my college counselor, I would not be where I am today. In my senior year of high school, I was a…

I’m a Cambodian Kid From Compton and Because of My Mom, I Graduated From College

As a young man growing up on the East Side of Compton, California, I never quite understood my place in my community or society. I…

I’m Celebrating First-Gens Because I Am One

We all know the journey to—and through—college isn’t easy. It can be especially difficult for first-generation students who are the first in their family to…

Separate But Equal Doesn’t Work, Except When We’re Talking Graduation Ceremonies

Dear White Elementary and High School Administrators: Did you see what happened at the University of Florida’s graduation ceremony on Saturday? Did you see that…