TIFFIN, Ohio — If you've been to college, you can relate to the stress of filing your FAFSA, applying for scholarships or signing up for classes.
But what if you don't have anyone in your life who can help walk you through that process?
"A lot of people usually have their parents to help them, to walk them through that, to fill out their FAFSA for them," Tiffin University sophomore Sasha Johnson said. "Whereas if you're a first-generation, you don't have that privilege at all."
Johnson is also the president of the First Generation Dragons group. The group offers support for students who are the first in their family to attend college.
It was founded by Kylie Stocker, a former TU first-generation student, and now a faculty member.
"They had way different questions than if the parents would've come to their visits with them and they could ask them those questions," Stocker said. "Then I became that person. So when I was switching to faculty, I knew that I needed to do something to help those students."
Currently, about 38% of TU students are first-generation.
To mark National First-Generation College Student Day, TU held a special panel discussion of alumni and faculty who themselves were first-generation students.
"What kind of resources are available to them, but also see somebody else that was a first-generation student just like them, and get inspired and understand that there is a whole support behind them," said Amy Wood, vice president for enrollment management and student success.
Along with Monday's event, TU has also opened up a fundraising campaign to raise funds for a scholarship for next year for a first-generation student as well.
The goal of the day was to instill a sense of community among these students who may have fewer people to go to for questions about the college experience.
"When they come here, they know that they're not alone, they're able to do this, you're able to be successful and start a new path and a new legacy for you and your family," Johnson said.