Reflecting on a Challenging Year

The first semester of college is supposed to be a whirlwind. Each day is filled with exhilarating experiences in an inspiring setting among an ever-expanding group of new peers. It is a magical time.

But for this year’s college freshmen, their first semester was far from magical. For many, there was no heady anticipation of settling into a new dorm room, no bonding with like-minded classmates, no tailgating before the big game. For them, in fact, the first semester of college was almost identical to their final semester of high school: minimal social interaction, limited outings, and only a muted sense that they were embarking on a pivotal new chapter in their lives.

For my Mission Scholars students – bright, motivated, first-generation college applicants – that onward slog was even more frustrating. Instead of launching themselves into the stratosphere as they’d been promised, they were forced to continue the same struggle to find quiet space in a crowded household, babysit their younger siblings through remote learning while their parents worked, and compete for patchy WiFi connection as they navigated college courses online.