The first year of college comes with a new set of challenges for any student: navigating dorm life, balancing academic and social expectations and adapting to a newfound independence. For first-generation students, however, these challenges can be even more intimidating. Coming to college without a family member to turn to for advice can make even the smallest parts of college feel unfamiliar. For Mickela Capomolla, a senior and the president of Springfield College’s First Generation club, that meant figuring everything out herself, from college applications and financial aid to the less obvious challenges of living with a roommate.
“Coming into college, it was pretty daunting because I’m the first one in my family to go,” Capomolla said. “No one knew what to do, so I had to figure it all out on my own.”
Capomolla’s experience is becoming increasingly relevant at Springfield College. First-generation students made up 37% of the fall 2026 first-year class. This number shows a notable increase from the roughly 29%-30% the college has seen in recent years. Rachel Rubinstein, the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences believes this change can be extremely impactful.
“I think this is tremendously exciting. For me, I feel like educating first-gen students is an opportunity to change lives and to change communities. There’s no better engine for social mobility than higher education,” Rubinstein said.
However, for many first-generation students, not having a parental figure to offer guidance about the college experience presents challenges that non-first-generation students do not face. Capomolla’s uncertainty extended beyond the formal parts of starting college. During her first year, she recalls struggling with understanding her relationship with her roommate. She sometimes worried that her roommate disliked her when they went periods of time without talking, despite the two still remaining close friends.
It took Capomolla until later in her first year to realize that living with someone did not mean talking constantly.
“I wish there was someone to tell me, ‘Hey, you and your roommate might not talk all the time, but that’s fine. It doesn’t mean they don’t like you. It doesn’t mean there are problems,’” Capomolla said.
Capomolla’s experience illustrates some of the less visible challenges that come with being a first-generation student. While some challenges seem small, the lack of having someone to turn to for guidance can extend into more significant parts of the college experience. As the population of first-generation students grows, the college must be prepared to support them. Dean Rubinstein invites this as an opportunity to examine and improve the support for first-generation students.
“We have to really think about our practices, our systems and our policies and ask: Are we welcoming first-gen students in the way that we should be? Are we creating the environment in which they can thrive?” Rubinstein said.
The college does have support systems in place for first-generation students which have been very successful. Most importantly, the First-Generation Mentoring Program. This program matches first-year students who identify as first-generation with upperclassmen or faculty members for weekly check-ins throughout the academic year. The mentors help new students to navigate campus and manage academic demands and social challenges.
The college is also working to prepare the its departments to better support the increasing population of first-generation students. Faculty have discussed department-specific approaches, including more intentional advising and accessible classroom practices. In effect, that accessibility can look like supplemental instruction, a tool that has been implemented in certain courses that embeds peer tutors into the classroom. These peer tutors run review sessions with the class and take the pressure off of the student to seek out help at the tutoring center. This is a resource that can be especially helpful for first-generation students who may feel overwhelmed by the process of seeking out academic support.
Despite the increased admission of first-generation students, the challenge does not end when they arrive on campus. First-to-second-year retention for non-first-generation students is in the high 80s, while retention for first-generation students is in the 70s.
“We have to really do a lot of self-examination to think about what policies and practices we have that we don’t realize are having a disproportionate impact on first-gen students.” Rubinstein said.
Still, the community surrounding the first-generation experience is growing on campus. Capomolla described how the reception and participation among first-years in the First-Generation Club was the highest she had seen in her time on campus. The club hosts informational sessions on topics such as FAFSA and graduate school applications to help all first-generation students with the resources and information they need to be successful, along with providing opportunities for students to relax and connect with one another.
Most importantly, the club provides students with a space where they can share their experiences and find community.
“Being in a room where everyone’s figuring it out at the same time is kind of comforting,” Capomolla said.“I think it provides an outlet for students who might feel alone or misunderstood. At least they can have a safe space to be like, ‘Okay, I’m not alone. I’m not misunderstood,’ and figure it out.”
That sense of community is especially important because being a first-generation student does not end after the first year. Students continue to encounter new challenges as they move through college, particularly as they approach graduation and consider graduate school or applying for jobs. Capomolla believes that the growing number of first-generation students is something to be proud of. To her, this increase represents students who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and pursue opportunities that may be unfamiliar to their families.
“It means that people are taking a chance on themselves,” Capomolla said. “It shows that they want more.”
As Springfield College’s first-generation population continues to grow, Capomolla hopes students will feel comfortable identifying themselves as first-generation and asking for help when they need it. She said that the experience is not something that students should feel ashamed of, but something they can take pride in.
“I just wish people weren’t as secret about it,” Capomolla said. “I’m first-gen. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m figuring it out. Who knows what they’re doing at any age?”