Celebrating Commencement with First-Gen Families

First-gen graduate Kiana Nieves ’19 spoke about the sacrifices her parents made to help her get an education and experience all that came along with her bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Lehigh.

“These last four years have not been easy, but with the support of my family, I have been able to do things I didn’t think were possible,” she said. “I worked hard because I had to make my parents proud, to show them that their sacrifices were worth something.”

Edward Ramos ’89, member of Lehigh’s Board of Trustees, the Black and Latino Alumni Network for Community and Equity (BALANCE), and a first-gen student himself, also emphasized the sacrifices his parents made.

"I remember my graduation day very well, and I cried tears of joy all day. Why? I thought about the sacrifices my mom and dad made. I cried thinking about the incredible amount of pressure that I had on my shoulders for four years, not to let anyone down. I felt like I was graduating for all those generations of hard workers in my family who never got this far,” Ramos said.

“If you are like me, somewhere, somehow, somebody told you that you can’t take the elevator to the top, but you also know that every tall building has steps. And you started climbing and ascending. And you rose; you fought; you persevered; you believed in yourself. And you know what else you did? You graduated from Lehigh University!” he said to exuberant cheering from the audience.

Ramos gave the graduates a final homework assignment: to think of the five people in their lives most responsible for their being there that day.

“Go back and thank them. Be the ripple in the water that multiplies this celebration today and make it last forever in someone else’s memory as well.”

Lehigh President John D. Simon ’19P thanked George White, managing director for student access and success, for his work with first-gen students and for coordinating the luncheon to celebrate their graduation. Simon also recognized members of the university’s F1RST club (First-Generation Initiative Represented by Students and Teachers) in the audience, and said, “We couldn’t be more proud of the work you’re doing to promote a supportive and more inclusive community here at Lehigh.”

Kevin Ly ’19, bioengineering graduate and F1RST club founder and president, said he appreciated the luncheon as an expression of Lehigh’s recognition of the adversity first-gen students face and its support of them.

“I hope the increasing number of first-generation graduates at Lehigh will serve as proof to current first-gen students that anything is possible if they put in the hard work and take advantage of the amazing opportunities Lehigh has to offer,” Ly said.

Lehigh is committed to attracting, enrolling, and supporting the best and brightest students. The university has made it a top priority of GO: The Campaign for Lehigh to raise $50 million for access and success programs.

Story by Cynthia Tintorri

Photos by John Kish IV