# @rutgersu on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Cky7h0aPXnx
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/1046405-rutgersu-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/cabd63d4d3.jpg
- **Posted:** 2022-11-10T21:37:51.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Rutgers University (@RutgersU) — https://gondola.cc/RutgersU

## Caption

In honor of First-Gen Week, we are celebrating students, faculty, and staff who are the first in their family to seek a four-year college degree in the United States. As we spotlight our first-gen community, take the time to learn about the diverse identities of those in our first-gen community ✨

Meet Yasmean Zekry, a @rutgers_scj student majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Pre-Health. 

"My parents are the village it took for me to come this far in my educational success. As a first-generation student, it was difficult for them to commit to and maintain the level of support I needed as a college student conquering a long career in the healthcare system. As an immigrant, there was plenty to learn, mainly that the odds were never on our side. Moving to the United States was not the easiest for them. Learning the language, which for them is still a challenge, made it difficult to understand what I go through to learn. However, that has never stopped them from supporting me in every way possible: financial, emotional and informational support. 

Education to them has always been a priority. A career and high education comes first, everything else comes second. Therefore, they supported me financially and ensured all odds were on my side to continue. They taught me perseverance, to invest in myself, to be resilient, patient, disciplined and to believe that hard work pays off. As a last-semester senior at Rutgers-Newark, I know they are proud of me and I am grateful for them. They taught me that I fall only to get back up and keep going. I am thankful to be the first generation because of them and appreciate the privilege to make their life-long dreams come true."

#CelebrateFirstGen | #RutgersPride | #RutgersExcellence

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 349
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 0

## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rutgers University | @RutgersU | https://gondola.cc/RutgersU | University |
| Marques Ruiz | @digitallysober | https://gondola.cc/digitallysober | Social Media Manager |
| Marques Ruiz | @digitallysober | https://gondola.cc/digitallysober | Copywriter |

## Tags

rutgerspride, rutgersexcellence, celebratefirstgen

## Events

first-gen week 2022

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