As a first-generation college student, I joined this project to bring awareness to various challenges that students like me are facing or will face in the future. I knew The Being First Collaborative would allow me to share my experiences, useful resources, and advice that I have accumulated throughout my journey to help professors better understand and support their students as individuals. Students come with different layers and backgrounds. Educators need to know how to reach each and every one of them, whether it be addressing them directly or by providing them with specific resources. My goal is to bridge the gap between professors and first-generation learners in the classroom, and this project is the most direct way for me to do that here at Rutgers University. I hope to be an inspiration for other first-generation college students to show that it is possible to succeed in higher education!