Interview with Yoselin Gonzalez-Mendez
“As a first-generation immigrant, to move away, get a master’s degree and be a trailblazer in my family, I can 100% relate to the feeling of our population, our community, our kids.”
That’s Yoselin “Yose” Gonzalez-Mendez, the Community Engagement Manager for First Graduate, a nonprofit devoted to helping first-generation students make their dream of a college degree a reality.
Based in San Francisco, First Graduate was founded in 2001 with the belief that helping the first member of a family to graduate from college will benefit the family as a whole and help to make college-going a norm for future generations. The nonprofit provides students with a variety of free opportunities and services including workshops, career days, college & financial aid counseling, test prep, campus visits, and mentorship. On the last point, all of the First Graduate staff and students know first-hand how important it is to have mentors and support when making one’s way through college. One of First Graduate’s alumni, Emily Lin, earned a dual Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Business Administration from the University of California, Irvine. At First Graduate’s annual gala, “Cap and Gown,” in 2018, she said: “First-generation students face more obstacles than just financial barriers when it comes to navigating the higher education system. It’s the network that we lack, the people we don’t know how to talk to, the resources and the support we don’t have. First Graduate addresses all of these issues, so we can be the first person in our families to graduate, and share the moment with our families once we do graduate.”
Now, Yose holds two degrees and two certifications: a Certificate in Child and Family Studies from the City College of San Francisco, a Juris Doctor degree in Law from the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello, a Certificate in Project Management from New York University, and a Master of Social Entrepreneurship from Hult International Business School. She’s taken these various qualifications and has applied her skillset towards making a difference. Yose is responsible for the ongoing development, implementation, and strategic planning of volunteer programs for over 200 individuals, serving as a liaison between the middle school, high school, college teams, and community partners.
“At First Graduate, it is important that members of the staff understand and connect with the experiences of our students,” Yose said. “Eric Guico, who is the Director of Programs, is a first-generation student, along with Mubeenah Shaikh and Aileen Pagdanganan, who are part of the College Access team.”
First Graduate is making a difference. Currently, there are 445 students in San Francisco receiving free college and career coaching through First Graduate, along with 143 alumni. Eighty-five percent (85%) of their members come from immigrant families and 91% qualify for free or reduced lunch. To add to this, their success rate is astounding: 99% of their seniors graduate high school and 99% of their high school graduates enrolled in a two- or four-year college in 2020.
Now, First Graduate’s most immediate challenge is COVID-19 exacerbating the digital divide that exists along socioeconomic lines. Many of First Graduate’s students didn’t have computers or reliable internet, so it was imperative that the First Graduate team be sure to address these newfound challenges. Luckily, they acted urgently and strategically, as they have already worked to secure a grant in order to provide Chromebooks and hotspots for many of their students, ensuring they would be able to communicate and stay up to date on their studies from home.
“I feel connected personally,” says Yose. “I am one of them, I was one of them, and I will always be one of them.”
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First Graduate has been a nonprofit partner of CariClub for over two years. We are so proud to work with them and are continually inspired by all that they do. If you’re interested in getting involved in CariClub, please check out our website or reach out to info@cariclub.com. To stay up to date about what CariClub is up to, follow CariClub on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
