First-gen stories don’t start in lecture halls—they start at kitchen tables, practice fields, border crossings, and counselor offices where someone says, “You can do this.” In this episode of Dreaming Big. Working Hard., David Alvarez sits down at Southwestern College in South San Diego with three first-generation students—Diana, Oscar, and Jose—whose paths prove how community opens doors.

Diana immigrated from Tijuana, found her footing in community college, and transferred to UC San Diego while earning additional credits back at Southwestern. Oscar is double-tracking: psychology at San Francisco State (online) and radiologic technology locally—leaning on skills honed during COVID’s remote school years. Jose, adopted and once a foster youth, turned athletic discipline and mentorship into momentum, discovering EOPS and the Guardian Scholars Program that mapped his classes, covered textbooks, and made graduation feel tangible.

Together they spotlight the scaffolding that makes first-gen success possible: First Year and Second Year Experience cohorts, priority registration, one-on-one counseling, campus pantries, and the everyday mentors—like Eric Matthews—who refuse to let students give up. The conversation is honest about the rising cost of living, work-school juggling, and social pressures, but it’s ultimately about agency: learn to ask for help, find your people, and keep moving. Their journeys show why investing in students isn’t charity—it’s strategy for a stronger California.

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