On Being the First

First-generation Stories From Across the Decades

A collage of portraits of first-generation alumni.

(Illustration: Matthew Hancock)

By Kenna Caprio and Rebecca Maxon

What’s it like to be the first person in your family to graduate from college?

Hard. Scary. Exciting. Gratifying. Life-changing.

Nine alumni and one current student — a group representing eight decades of higher education, individuals who attended FDU starting in the 1960s and running up through 2022 — open up about the pressures, the opportunities and the beauty of being first.

A combination of a portrait and illustration of a woman.
Susan Rosenberg, BA'68
A combination of a portrait and illustration of a man.
Rob Apap, BS'73
A combination of a portrait and illustration of a woman.
Mae Holterhoff Greenwald, BA'76
A combination of a portrait and illustration of a man.
John E. Harmon, Sr., BS’83
A combination of a portrait and illustration of a woman.
Toni-Lee Sangastiano, BA’98
A combination of a portrait and illustration of a man.
Azam Basheer, BS’05
A combination of a portrait and illustration of a man.
Jonathan Hyppolite, BA’10, MA’11
A combination of a portrait and illustration of a woman.
Mirna Hanna, PharmD’18
A combination of a portrait and illustration of a man.
Jhonny Jimenez, BS’20, MBA’21
A combination of a portrait and illustration of a woman.
Kayra Ramirez, Sophomore