Revolutionary Tales - Justin Liu

For 8.2 million first-generation college students nationwide, Liu's challenges are deeply familiar. Without guidance from family who attended college, tasks like registering for classes or moving into dorms can be daunting. Beyond financial strains and adjusting to life away from home, many balance family obligations while battling isolation and imposter syndrome. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about one-third drop out within three years-more than double their peers' rate-and only 40% graduate within six years. Studies show first-generation students experience higher rates of mental health struggles and feelings of not belonging.

While "there is no one look for a first-generation student," Sean Watley , program associate for the First-Generation Program within the Division for Student Affairs, says many cite finding community as pivotal to their well-being. "There's something impactful about having people around you who went through the same things and can guide you," he said. Indeed, Watley said GW's first-generation initiatives foster those connections through programs like Founding Scholars and First Gen United , which provides services such as mentorship, textbook exchanges and professional development opportunities.

On campus, Liu's early doubts faded as he immersed himself in the first-generation community. Like many children of immigrants, he rarely identified with the term, worried it carried stereotypes and stigma. But he roomed in the residential Blaze the Tra1l First-Gen LLC. And through coffee chats with his orientation leader Darianny Bautista -a senior philosophy and political science major and a first-generation student herself-Liu's anxieties slowly eased.

"I immediately recognized that he had the exact same sense of responsibility so many first-generation students have," Bautista said. "When you realize that you're not the only one, when you have somebody you can talk to, it changes everything."

With Bautista's encouragement, Liu won an SGA senate seat in his first year, chairing committees and working on issues like housing and student safety. "He is one of the sharpest people and hardest workers I know," said SGA President Ethan C. Lynne. Liu built a tight-knit circle of friends, including Bautista who even visited his family's home in Claremont, California. "Justin is unaware of how kind and selfless he is," she said. "If you know him, you love him."

Liu's parents plan to attend GW Commencement this spring to watch him become the first in his family to earn an American degree. He hopes his grandparents-whom he hasn't seen since leaving China-will also be in the audience on the National Mall.

Looking back, Liu says his time at GW-"the best decision I could have made"-reframed his perspective on his parents' own journey. His challenges-from that first disorienting night on campus to charting a path no one in his family had taken before-gave him a glimpse into the uncertainty his parents faced as they began new lives in a new country. "I came to understand their struggles," he reflected. "And I came to understand how important this was to them."

Meanwhile, he's embraced the "first generation" term he once avoided. What had felt like a label that set him apart now seems like a testament to how far he's traveled. As Liu put it, "I can be proud to say that I am first-gen."