One of those people is Alejandra Cruz-Martinez, a business ma - jor from Vancouver, who connected with Nelson through PUSH and her role as ASCWU director of student life and facilities. Cruz-Martinez also had a difficult start at CWU, with the death of family members compounding the stress of being away from home and adjusting to college classes. When she was struggling, she found her greatest support came from the student leaders she met through ASCWU, campus groups like Movimiento Estudiantil Chinana/o de Aztlan (MEChA) and her academic advisor in the College of Business, Anna Cortes. Surrounded by this community, Cruz-Martinez realized she belonged and could succeed in college. “I came to college without really imagining myself graduating,” she said. “Seeing all these students take on these leadership roles and becoming a voice for the student population, or becoming a role model or a leader for the Latinx community and other marginal- ized communities, really stood out to me.” The College of Business works to provide students with a multitude of opportunities to get connected with communi- ties like the ones that helped Nelson and Cruz-Martinez. Clubs associated with majors, as well as groups such as Women in Business and the Association of Latin Profes - sionals for America , unite students around shared needs and interests. Even coursework helps build community: the Management 200 class connects students, many of whom are first-generation, with peer mentors.
The Value of Community The first year of college was lonely for Jaeda Nelson. She had a close-knit community at home in Kent that embraced her as a multiracial woman of color. But she found a reason to stay at CWU through the people she met. “I really liked Central because it was more of an intimate learning space,” said Nelson, a business major with a specialization in leadership and management. “I’m someone that really likes to connect with the people around me.” In Nelson’s sophomore year, her roommate invited her to a meeting of Presidents United to Solve Hunger (PUSH), a stu - dent group that focuses on food security. Nelson found a friendly and dedicated group—and she stayed, applying to be an officer. Now a senior and PUSH president, Nelson led PUSH in rais - ing $60,000 to open CWU’s first free food and supply pantry for students. She also works at the Diversity and Equity Center, where she developed THRIVE, CWU’s first affinity program for women of color. Though she’s “wired to be independent,” she’s discovered the importance of community through the support she’s received from professors, advisors, and peers. “It’s meant the world, because I’ve never had anyone to go to, because I don’t have anyone I know that’s graduated college or been to a university,” Nelson said. “I’ve been able to find people who actually want to sit with me in things that I’m struggling with, or sit with me in frustration, or sit with me when I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so excited.’”
The Value of Caring for Others
While finding people who care about them at CWU is vital for many first-generation and neo-traditional students, they’re also motivated by the people they care about back at home. Students often tell Stinson they’re making an investment in their family’s future. The current generation of students is particularly focused on giving back, he said. “I think for our first-gen and our neo-traditional students, it’s just amplified,” Stinson said. “They want to be role models. They want to go back to their high school and talk to the students about how you can go to college and you can achieve and succeed.” This can lead to a chain reaction. According to a 2021 Pew Research study, adults with parents who went to college are more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree themselves.
For Jaeda Nelson, the potential to inspire her family led her to college and keeps her going. “More than anything, I just wanted to be able to start that legacy for my family,” she said. “To have them also experience with me what college looks like. For my nephews and my little cousins to think like, ‘Oh my gosh, my big cousin Jaeda is doing this thing no one’s done yet. What is that going to turn into?’”
Jaeda Nelson (’22)
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