{"id":290929,"date":"2019-11-15T12:04:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-15T17:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/?p=290929"},"modified":"2023-11-08T20:28:20","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T01:28:20","slug":"first-generation-harvard-red-book-helps-bind-a-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2019\/11\/first-generation-harvard-red-book-helps-bind-a-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Authors of their own stories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t
\"Two

Dan Lobo '14, president of the First Generation Harvard Alumni shared-interest group, speaks with Alejandra Iglesias '21, the current president of Primus, about the power of stories.<\/p>

Photos by Stephanie Mitchell\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tCampus & Community\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t

\n\t\tAuthors of their own stories\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\tMolly Sparrow\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\tHarvard Correspondent\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tNew first-generation Red Book helps bind a community\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\t\t

It was a day of firsts. Harvard alumni, students, and faculty gathered last Friday to mark the University\u2019s inaugural observance of the National First-Generation College Celebration, which highlights this community\u2019s contributions on campus. It also marked the unveiling of the First Generation Harvard Alumni Red Book, published by the Harvard Alumni Association. The publication gives first-gen graduates a way to keep up with each other in the same way the traditional Red Books have allowed the wider College and Radcliffe alumni community to share their life updates since the mid-1800s.<\/p>\n

\u201cStories change minds, change lives, even change history,\u201d said Dan Lobo \u201914, who was instrumental in the project. As a student, Lobo founded the Harvard College First Generation Student Union (FGSU) \u2014 now known as Harvard Primus<\/a> \u2014 in 2013. Lobo, who is currently an undergraduate adviser in the Office of Career Services, is president of the First Generation Harvard Alumni<\/a> shared-interest group. He and Alejandra Iglesias \u201921, president of Primus, spoke with the Gazette to reflect on their own experiences and the power of stories.<\/p>\n

Q&A<\/h2>\n

Dan Lobo and Alejandra Iglesias<\/h3>\n

GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>With the launch of the first-gen Red Book, does the idea that stories matter take on new meaning for you?<\/p>\n

lobo:\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong> It can be easy to trivialize the impact of stories, but my experience has been that stories change lives. The story of the American dream is what brought my mom from a small island off the coast of Africa to the United States. The story of successful people going to Harvard is what got me to Harvard. I\u2019ve found that stories are a motivating factor in my life and in our community.<\/p>\n

Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0I think what\u2019s important about the Red Book is that students sometimes don\u2019t feel comfortable opening up to each other, but you read these stories and feel validated. I think hearing people\u2019s voices, hearing their stories, empowers us to come forward and open up about our own.<\/p>\n

GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>Tell me about the origins of the first-generation Red Book.<\/p>\n

lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0We had been thinking for a number of years about how we could get to know each other better and share our stories with one another in our alumni shared-interest group. This serves as a community-building tool within our organization, but it also connects us back to students. It\u2019s like you\u2019re saying, \u201cWelcome to the community. We can\u2019t wait to connect with you.\u201d The Red Book provides a tangible way to begin to make those connections.<\/p>\n

GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>What do you know now that you wish you had known as a first-year student?<\/p>\n

Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0One of the things I\u2019m learning is to know when to ask for help. When you come here, you\u2019ve done everything on your own for so long. Then you get here, and you don\u2019t know anybody, but you get a peer advising fellow and a proctor and an academic adviser \u2014 all these different people who are there for you. And yet part of the first-gen experience is that you don\u2019t know how to actually go to them and say, \u201cI\u2019m struggling. Can you help me?\u201d And I made the mistake of not asking for help and nearly failing one of my classes.<\/p>\n

lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Same here. I wish I knew that life\u2019s journey doesn\u2019t need to be so stressful. I wish I knew that exploration is supposed to be fun. Being hard on yourself is so counterproductive. I can see that clearly now. I would\u2019ve known that it\u2019s going to be fine, but it\u2019s hard to trust yourself in that way.<\/p>\n

GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>Dan, how has being part of the First Generation Harvard Alumni shared-interest group helped you to navigate the experience of being first-gen?<\/p>\n

lobo:<\/strong> <\/strong>The issues that come with being first-gen never end. The narrative goes that you get the College degree, you\u2019re on a path of upward social mobility, and everything\u2019s going to be all good. But my experience as an alumnus is that I can\u2019t get advice on career decisions from my parents, so seeking out mentors is extremely important. It\u2019s all completely new territory. You need advice from people who have gone through a similar experience, and that\u2019s what the First-Generation shared-interest group community has been for me.<\/p>\n\r\n\t\n\n\t

\"Two
"I think what\u2019s important about the Red Book is that students sometimes don\u2019t feel comfortable opening up to each other, but you read these stories and feel validated,"said Dan Lobo, standing with Alejandra Iglesias.\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\n

GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How does Primus connect and support students? How are alumni involved?<\/p>\n

Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Primus does a lot of community building, working closely with the administration to advocate for issues that have to do with being first-gen on campus, planning social events, having professional-development opportunities, and just giving students a place to come together. One of the biggest ways alumni are involved is through the mentoring program, which pairs first-year students with alumni in the area to help guide students through that first year. My mentor, Mercedes Soto \u201990, has been there for me through so much. My first summer here, my housing fell through and I didn\u2019t know where to go. Without me even having to ask she offered me a room in her place. That was surreal to me. As a first-gen it\u2019s hard and takes a lot of courage to go up and ask for something, and for someone to just open their arms meant a lot to me. She\u2019s someone I can fall back on and really rely on for anything.<\/p>\n

GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How has life for first-generation students at Harvard changed from when Primus was started in 2013?<\/p>\n

Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong> Something that we are really proud of is the First Year Retreat Experience<\/a> (FYRE) program for incoming first-year students, which was the result of advocacy efforts dating back to the founding of FGSU in 2013. It\u2019s taken years of work by a lot of student leaders on top of a job and on top of schoolwork, and we are finally seeing the results of that. The work isn\u2019t over yet, and we have to keep going, but the fact that FYRE was institutionalized by Harvard just proves that our voices coming together and fighting for something that matters really does have an impact.<\/p>\n

[FYRE\u00a0launched in 2018<\/a>\u00a0as a two-year pilot program supported by the Dean of Student\u2019s Office and will continue next year.]<\/p>\n

GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>In the Red Book, you\u2019re telling your own stories in your own words. Why is that significant?<\/p>\n

lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0To me, telling our stories this way is a way to feel fully included in the Harvard community. When I first came to Harvard, I quickly learned to hide my story. I didn\u2019t feel comfortable telling my story. It wasn\u2019t something that made me feel included; it was something that made me feel excluded. A big part of my Harvard identity has been learning to bring my full self to this community, and the Red Book is a tangible marker of that.<\/p>\n

GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How have the first-gen community and other communities that you\u2019re a part of helped you feel more connected to the larger Harvard community?<\/p>\n

lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0I believe in going inside of a community that empowers you, such that it fuels you to then bring your full self into an inclusive space, and that\u2019s exactly what the first-gen community has done for me. It\u2019s where I learned to tell my story. It\u2019s where I developed my skills as a leader and an organizer. I wouldn\u2019t be the Dan Lobo that I am today and the Harvard community member that I am today if I didn\u2019t have the opportunity to build myself up in a space that felt safer.<\/p>\n

Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s also a tool to reclaim your identity. Coming to Harvard and being part of both the first-generation and Latinx communities has helped shape my experience. Hearing other people share their stories helps you to feel brave enough to step forward and share your own, and make connections to change your future, which is something I\u2019m really grateful for.<\/p>\n

Interview was edited for clarity and condensed for space.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dan Lobo \u201914, founder of Harvard College First Generation Student Union \u2014 now known as Harvard Primus, and Alejandra Iglesias \u201921, president of Primus, discuss the first-gen Red Book.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131912115,"featured_media":291870,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"gz_ga_pageviews":31,"gz_ga_lastupdated":"2020-07-28 03:09","document_color_palette":"crimson","author":"Molly Sparrow","affiliation":"Harvard 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lobo\",\"first generation harvard alumni red book\",\"harvard alumni association\",\"harvard college first generation student union\",\"molly sparrow\",\"national first-generation college celebration\",\"primus\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2019-11-15T17:04:03Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-15T17:04:03Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-09T01:28:20Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/news.harvard.edu\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/110619_First_Gen_QA_110_2500.jpg","has_blocks":true,"block_data":{"0":{"blockName":"harvard-gazette\/article-header","attrs":{"blockColorPalette":"","coloredHeading":"","creditText":"Photos by Stephanie Mitchell\/Harvard Staff Photographer","displayDetails":"","displayTitle":"","categoryId":1364,"mediaAlt":"Two Harvard alums sitting in chairs","mediaCaption":"Dan Lobo '14, president of the First Generation Harvard Alumni shared-interest group, speaks with Alejandra Iglesias '21, the current president of Primus, about the power of stories.","mediaId":291870,"mediaSize":"full","mediaType":"image","mediaUrl":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/110619_First_Gen_QA_110_2500.jpg","poster":"","title":"Authors of their own stories","subheading":"New first-generation Red Book helps bind a community","centeredImage":true,"className":"is-style-full-width-text-below","mediaHeight":1667,"mediaWidth":2500,"backgroundFixed":false,"backgroundTone":"light","coloredBackground":false,"displayOverlay":true,"fadeInText":false,"isAmbient":false,"mediaLength":"","mediaPosition":"","posterText":"","titleAbove":false,"useUncroppedImage":false,"lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"Two Harvard alums sitting in chairs\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/110619_First_Gen_QA_110_2500.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Dan Lobo '14, president of the First Generation Harvard Alumni shared-interest group, speaks with Alejandra Iglesias '21, the current president of Primus, about the power of stories.<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Photos by Stephanie Mitchell\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","innerContent":["<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"Two Harvard alums sitting in chairs\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/110619_First_Gen_QA_110_2500.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Dan Lobo '14, president of the First Generation Harvard Alumni shared-interest group, speaks with Alejandra Iglesias '21, the current president of Primus, about the power of stories.<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Photos by Stephanie Mitchell\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"],"rendered":"<header\n\tclass=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-article-header alignfull article-header is-style-full-width-text-below centered-image\"\n\tstyle=\" \"\n>\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"Two Harvard alums sitting in chairs\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/110619_First_Gen_QA_110_2500.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Dan Lobo '14, president of the First Generation Harvard Alumni shared-interest group, speaks with Alejandra Iglesias '21, the current president of Primus, about the power of stories.<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Photos by Stephanie Mitchell\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t<div class=\"article-header__content\">\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"article-header__category\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\tCampus & Community\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading \">\n\t\tAuthors of their own stories\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tMolly Sparrow\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard Correspondent\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2019-11-15\">\n\t\t\tNovember 15, 2019\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t8 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tNew first-generation Red Book helps bind a community\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n"},"2":{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"templateLock":false,"metadata":{"name":"Article content"},"align":"wide","layout":{"type":"constrained","justifyContent":"center"},"tagName":"div","lock":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\t\t<p>It was a day of firsts. Harvard alumni, students, and faculty gathered last Friday to mark the University\u2019s inaugural observance of the National First-Generation College Celebration, which highlights this community\u2019s contributions on campus. It also marked the unveiling of the First Generation Harvard Alumni Red Book, published by the Harvard Alumni Association. The publication gives first-gen graduates a way to keep up with each other in the same way the traditional Red Books have allowed the wider College and Radcliffe alumni community to share their life updates since the mid-1800s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStories change minds, change lives, even change history,\u201d said Dan Lobo \u201914, who was instrumental in the project. As a student, Lobo founded the Harvard College First Generation Student Union (FGSU) \u2014 now known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harvardprimus\/?ref=bookmarks\">Harvard Primus<\/a> \u2014 in 2013. Lobo, who is currently an undergraduate adviser in the Office of Career Services, is president of the <a href=\"http:\/\/firstgeneration.sigs.harvard.edu\/\">First Generation Harvard Alumni<\/a> shared-interest group. He and Alejandra Iglesias \u201921, president of Primus, spoke with the Gazette to reflect on their own experiences and the power of stories.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q&A<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dan Lobo and Alejandra Iglesias<\/h3>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>With the launch of the first-gen Red Book, does the idea that stories matter take on new meaning for you?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong> It can be easy to trivialize the impact of stories, but my experience has been that stories change lives. The story of the American dream is what brought my mom from a small island off the coast of Africa to the United States. The story of successful people going to Harvard is what got me to Harvard. I\u2019ve found that stories are a motivating factor in my life and in our community.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0I think what\u2019s important about the Red Book is that students sometimes don\u2019t feel comfortable opening up to each other, but you read these stories and feel validated. I think hearing people\u2019s voices, hearing their stories, empowers us to come forward and open up about our own.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>Tell me about the origins of the first-generation Red Book.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0We had been thinking for a number of years about how we could get to know each other better and share our stories with one another in our alumni shared-interest group. This serves as a community-building tool within our organization, but it also connects us back to students. It\u2019s like you\u2019re saying, \u201cWelcome to the community. We can\u2019t wait to connect with you.\u201d The Red Book provides a tangible way to begin to make those connections.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>What do you know now that you wish you had known as a first-year student?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0One of the things I\u2019m learning is to know when to ask for help. When you come here, you\u2019ve done everything on your own for so long. Then you get here, and you don\u2019t know anybody, but you get a peer advising fellow and a proctor and an academic adviser \u2014 all these different people who are there for you. And yet part of the first-gen experience is that you don\u2019t know how to actually go to them and say, \u201cI\u2019m struggling. Can you help me?\u201d And I made the mistake of not asking for help and nearly failing one of my classes.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Same here. I wish I knew that life\u2019s journey doesn\u2019t need to be so stressful. I wish I knew that exploration is supposed to be fun. Being hard on yourself is so counterproductive. I can see that clearly now. I would\u2019ve known that it\u2019s going to be fine, but it\u2019s hard to trust yourself in that way.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>Dan, how has being part of the First Generation Harvard Alumni shared-interest group helped you to navigate the experience of being first-gen?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong> <\/strong>The issues that come with being first-gen never end. The narrative goes that you get the College degree, you\u2019re on a path of upward social mobility, and everything\u2019s going to be all good. But my experience as an alumnus is that I can\u2019t get advice on career decisions from my parents, so seeking out mentors is extremely important. It\u2019s all completely new territory. You need advice from people who have gone through a similar experience, and that\u2019s what the First-Generation shared-interest group community has been for me.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n\t\t<p>It was a day of firsts. Harvard alumni, students, and faculty gathered last Friday to mark the University\u2019s inaugural observance of the National First-Generation College Celebration, which highlights this community\u2019s contributions on campus. It also marked the unveiling of the First Generation Harvard Alumni Red Book, published by the Harvard Alumni Association. The publication gives first-gen graduates a way to keep up with each other in the same way the traditional Red Books have allowed the wider College and Radcliffe alumni community to share their life updates since the mid-1800s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStories change minds, change lives, even change history,\u201d said Dan Lobo \u201914, who was instrumental in the project. As a student, Lobo founded the Harvard College First Generation Student Union (FGSU) \u2014 now known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harvardprimus\/?ref=bookmarks\">Harvard Primus<\/a> \u2014 in 2013. Lobo, who is currently an undergraduate adviser in the Office of Career Services, is president of the <a href=\"http:\/\/firstgeneration.sigs.harvard.edu\/\">First Generation Harvard Alumni<\/a> shared-interest group. He and Alejandra Iglesias \u201921, president of Primus, spoke with the Gazette to reflect on their own experiences and the power of stories.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q&A<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dan Lobo and Alejandra Iglesias<\/h3>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>With the launch of the first-gen Red Book, does the idea that stories matter take on new meaning for you?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong> It can be easy to trivialize the impact of stories, but my experience has been that stories change lives. The story of the American dream is what brought my mom from a small island off the coast of Africa to the United States. The story of successful people going to Harvard is what got me to Harvard. I\u2019ve found that stories are a motivating factor in my life and in our community.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0I think what\u2019s important about the Red Book is that students sometimes don\u2019t feel comfortable opening up to each other, but you read these stories and feel validated. I think hearing people\u2019s voices, hearing their stories, empowers us to come forward and open up about our own.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>Tell me about the origins of the first-generation Red Book.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0We had been thinking for a number of years about how we could get to know each other better and share our stories with one another in our alumni shared-interest group. This serves as a community-building tool within our organization, but it also connects us back to students. It\u2019s like you\u2019re saying, \u201cWelcome to the community. We can\u2019t wait to connect with you.\u201d The Red Book provides a tangible way to begin to make those connections.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>What do you know now that you wish you had known as a first-year student?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0One of the things I\u2019m learning is to know when to ask for help. When you come here, you\u2019ve done everything on your own for so long. Then you get here, and you don\u2019t know anybody, but you get a peer advising fellow and a proctor and an academic adviser \u2014 all these different people who are there for you. And yet part of the first-gen experience is that you don\u2019t know how to actually go to them and say, \u201cI\u2019m struggling. Can you help me?\u201d And I made the mistake of not asking for help and nearly failing one of my classes.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Same here. I wish I knew that life\u2019s journey doesn\u2019t need to be so stressful. I wish I knew that exploration is supposed to be fun. Being hard on yourself is so counterproductive. I can see that clearly now. I would\u2019ve known that it\u2019s going to be fine, but it\u2019s hard to trust yourself in that way.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>Dan, how has being part of the First Generation Harvard Alumni shared-interest group helped you to navigate the experience of being first-gen?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong> <\/strong>The issues that come with being first-gen never end. The narrative goes that you get the College degree, you\u2019re on a path of upward social mobility, and everything\u2019s going to be all good. But my experience as an alumnus is that I can\u2019t get advice on career decisions from my parents, so seeking out mentors is extremely important. It\u2019s all completely new territory. You need advice from people who have gone through a similar experience, and that\u2019s what the First-Generation shared-interest group community has been for me.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n\t\t<p>It was a day of firsts. Harvard alumni, students, and faculty gathered last Friday to mark the University\u2019s inaugural observance of the National First-Generation College Celebration, which highlights this community\u2019s contributions on campus. It also marked the unveiling of the First Generation Harvard Alumni Red Book, published by the Harvard Alumni Association. The publication gives first-gen graduates a way to keep up with each other in the same way the traditional Red Books have allowed the wider College and Radcliffe alumni community to share their life updates since the mid-1800s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStories change minds, change lives, even change history,\u201d said Dan Lobo \u201914, who was instrumental in the project. As a student, Lobo founded the Harvard College First Generation Student Union (FGSU) \u2014 now known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harvardprimus\/?ref=bookmarks\">Harvard Primus<\/a> \u2014 in 2013. Lobo, who is currently an undergraduate adviser in the Office of Career Services, is president of the <a href=\"http:\/\/firstgeneration.sigs.harvard.edu\/\">First Generation Harvard Alumni<\/a> shared-interest group. He and Alejandra Iglesias \u201921, president of Primus, spoke with the Gazette to reflect on their own experiences and the power of stories.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q&A<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dan Lobo and Alejandra Iglesias<\/h3>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>With the launch of the first-gen Red Book, does the idea that stories matter take on new meaning for you?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong> It can be easy to trivialize the impact of stories, but my experience has been that stories change lives. The story of the American dream is what brought my mom from a small island off the coast of Africa to the United States. The story of successful people going to Harvard is what got me to Harvard. I\u2019ve found that stories are a motivating factor in my life and in our community.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0I think what\u2019s important about the Red Book is that students sometimes don\u2019t feel comfortable opening up to each other, but you read these stories and feel validated. I think hearing people\u2019s voices, hearing their stories, empowers us to come forward and open up about our own.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>Tell me about the origins of the first-generation Red Book.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0We had been thinking for a number of years about how we could get to know each other better and share our stories with one another in our alumni shared-interest group. This serves as a community-building tool within our organization, but it also connects us back to students. It\u2019s like you\u2019re saying, \u201cWelcome to the community. We can\u2019t wait to connect with you.\u201d The Red Book provides a tangible way to begin to make those connections.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>What do you know now that you wish you had known as a first-year student?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0One of the things I\u2019m learning is to know when to ask for help. When you come here, you\u2019ve done everything on your own for so long. Then you get here, and you don\u2019t know anybody, but you get a peer advising fellow and a proctor and an academic adviser \u2014 all these different people who are there for you. And yet part of the first-gen experience is that you don\u2019t know how to actually go to them and say, \u201cI\u2019m struggling. Can you help me?\u201d And I made the mistake of not asking for help and nearly failing one of my classes.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Same here. I wish I knew that life\u2019s journey doesn\u2019t need to be so stressful. I wish I knew that exploration is supposed to be fun. Being hard on yourself is so counterproductive. I can see that clearly now. I would\u2019ve known that it\u2019s going to be fine, but it\u2019s hard to trust yourself in that way.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>Dan, how has being part of the First Generation Harvard Alumni shared-interest group helped you to navigate the experience of being first-gen?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong> <\/strong>The issues that come with being first-gen never end. The narrative goes that you get the College degree, you\u2019re on a path of upward social mobility, and everything\u2019s going to be all good. But my experience as an alumnus is that I can\u2019t get advice on career decisions from my parents, so seeking out mentors is extremely important. It\u2019s all completely new territory. You need advice from people who have gone through a similar experience, and that\u2019s what the First-Generation shared-interest group community has been for me.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/image","attrs":{"sizeSlug":"full","align":"wide","id":291869,"caption":"\"I think what\u2019s important about the Red Book is that students sometimes don\u2019t feel comfortable opening up to each other, but you read these stories and feel validated,\"said Dan Lobo, standing with Alejandra Iglesias.","creditText":"","blob":"","url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/110619_First_Gen_QA_030_2500.jpg","alt":"Two people standing together.","lightbox":[],"title":"","href":"","rel":"","linkClass":"","width":"","height":"","aspectRatio":"","scale":"","linkDestination":"","linkTarget":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/110619_First_Gen_QA_030_2500.jpg\" alt=\"Two people standing together.\" class=\"wp-image-291869\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">"I think what\u2019s important about the Red Book is that students sometimes don\u2019t feel comfortable opening up to each other, but you read these stories and feel validated,"said Dan Lobo, standing with Alejandra Iglesias.\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t","innerContent":["\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/110619_First_Gen_QA_030_2500.jpg\" alt=\"Two people standing together.\" class=\"wp-image-291869\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">"I think what\u2019s important about the Red Book is that students sometimes don\u2019t feel comfortable opening up to each other, but you read these stories and feel validated,"said Dan Lobo, standing with Alejandra Iglesias.\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t"],"rendered":"\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/110619_First_Gen_QA_030_2500.jpg\" alt=\"Two people standing together.\" class=\"wp-image-291869\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">"I think what\u2019s important about the Red Book is that students sometimes don\u2019t feel comfortable opening up to each other, but you read these stories and feel validated,"said Dan Lobo, standing with Alejandra Iglesias.\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t"},{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How does Primus connect and support students? How are alumni involved?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Primus does a lot of community building, working closely with the administration to advocate for issues that have to do with being first-gen on campus, planning social events, having professional-development opportunities, and just giving students a place to come together. One of the biggest ways alumni are involved is through the mentoring program, which pairs first-year students with alumni in the area to help guide students through that first year. My mentor, Mercedes Soto \u201990, has been there for me through so much. My first summer here, my housing fell through and I didn\u2019t know where to go. Without me even having to ask she offered me a room in her place. That was surreal to me. As a first-gen it\u2019s hard and takes a lot of courage to go up and ask for something, and for someone to just open their arms meant a lot to me. She\u2019s someone I can fall back on and really rely on for anything.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How has life for first-generation students at Harvard changed from when Primus was started in 2013?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong> Something that we are really proud of is the <a href=\"https:\/\/fdo.fas.harvard.edu\/fyre\">First Year Retreat Experience<\/a> (FYRE) program for incoming first-year students, which was the result of advocacy efforts dating back to the founding of FGSU in 2013. It\u2019s taken years of work by a lot of student leaders on top of a job and on top of schoolwork, and we are finally seeing the results of that. The work isn\u2019t over yet, and we have to keep going, but the fact that FYRE was institutionalized by Harvard just proves that our voices coming together and fighting for something that matters really does have an impact.<\/p>\n<p>[FYRE\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2018\/08\/at-harvard-the-first-time-for-first-year-student-retreat\/\">launched in 2018<\/a>\u00a0as a two-year pilot program supported by the Dean of Student\u2019s Office and will continue next year.]<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>In the Red Book, you\u2019re telling your own stories in your own words. Why is that significant?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0To me, telling our stories this way is a way to feel fully included in the Harvard community. When I first came to Harvard, I quickly learned to hide my story. I didn\u2019t feel comfortable telling my story. It wasn\u2019t something that made me feel included; it was something that made me feel excluded. A big part of my Harvard identity has been learning to bring my full self to this community, and the Red Book is a tangible marker of that.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How have the first-gen community and other communities that you\u2019re a part of helped you feel more connected to the larger Harvard community?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0I believe in going inside of a community that empowers you, such that it fuels you to then bring your full self into an inclusive space, and that\u2019s exactly what the first-gen community has done for me. It\u2019s where I learned to tell my story. It\u2019s where I developed my skills as a leader and an organizer. I wouldn\u2019t be the Dan Lobo that I am today and the Harvard community member that I am today if I didn\u2019t have the opportunity to build myself up in a space that felt safer.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s also a tool to reclaim your identity. Coming to Harvard and being part of both the first-generation and Latinx communities has helped shape my experience. Hearing other people share their stories helps you to feel brave enough to step forward and share your own, and make connections to change your future, which is something I\u2019m really grateful for.<\/p>\n<p><em>Interview was edited for clarity and condensed for space.<\/em><\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How does Primus connect and support students? How are alumni involved?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Primus does a lot of community building, working closely with the administration to advocate for issues that have to do with being first-gen on campus, planning social events, having professional-development opportunities, and just giving students a place to come together. One of the biggest ways alumni are involved is through the mentoring program, which pairs first-year students with alumni in the area to help guide students through that first year. My mentor, Mercedes Soto \u201990, has been there for me through so much. My first summer here, my housing fell through and I didn\u2019t know where to go. Without me even having to ask she offered me a room in her place. That was surreal to me. As a first-gen it\u2019s hard and takes a lot of courage to go up and ask for something, and for someone to just open their arms meant a lot to me. She\u2019s someone I can fall back on and really rely on for anything.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How has life for first-generation students at Harvard changed from when Primus was started in 2013?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong> Something that we are really proud of is the <a href=\"https:\/\/fdo.fas.harvard.edu\/fyre\">First Year Retreat Experience<\/a> (FYRE) program for incoming first-year students, which was the result of advocacy efforts dating back to the founding of FGSU in 2013. It\u2019s taken years of work by a lot of student leaders on top of a job and on top of schoolwork, and we are finally seeing the results of that. The work isn\u2019t over yet, and we have to keep going, but the fact that FYRE was institutionalized by Harvard just proves that our voices coming together and fighting for something that matters really does have an impact.<\/p>\n<p>[FYRE\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2018\/08\/at-harvard-the-first-time-for-first-year-student-retreat\/\">launched in 2018<\/a>\u00a0as a two-year pilot program supported by the Dean of Student\u2019s Office and will continue next year.]<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>In the Red Book, you\u2019re telling your own stories in your own words. Why is that significant?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0To me, telling our stories this way is a way to feel fully included in the Harvard community. When I first came to Harvard, I quickly learned to hide my story. I didn\u2019t feel comfortable telling my story. It wasn\u2019t something that made me feel included; it was something that made me feel excluded. A big part of my Harvard identity has been learning to bring my full self to this community, and the Red Book is a tangible marker of that.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How have the first-gen community and other communities that you\u2019re a part of helped you feel more connected to the larger Harvard community?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0I believe in going inside of a community that empowers you, such that it fuels you to then bring your full self into an inclusive space, and that\u2019s exactly what the first-gen community has done for me. It\u2019s where I learned to tell my story. It\u2019s where I developed my skills as a leader and an organizer. I wouldn\u2019t be the Dan Lobo that I am today and the Harvard community member that I am today if I didn\u2019t have the opportunity to build myself up in a space that felt safer.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s also a tool to reclaim your identity. Coming to Harvard and being part of both the first-generation and Latinx communities has helped shape my experience. Hearing other people share their stories helps you to feel brave enough to step forward and share your own, and make connections to change your future, which is something I\u2019m really grateful for.<\/p>\n<p><em>Interview was edited for clarity and condensed for space.<\/em><\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How does Primus connect and support students? How are alumni involved?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Primus does a lot of community building, working closely with the administration to advocate for issues that have to do with being first-gen on campus, planning social events, having professional-development opportunities, and just giving students a place to come together. One of the biggest ways alumni are involved is through the mentoring program, which pairs first-year students with alumni in the area to help guide students through that first year. My mentor, Mercedes Soto \u201990, has been there for me through so much. My first summer here, my housing fell through and I didn\u2019t know where to go. Without me even having to ask she offered me a room in her place. That was surreal to me. As a first-gen it\u2019s hard and takes a lot of courage to go up and ask for something, and for someone to just open their arms meant a lot to me. She\u2019s someone I can fall back on and really rely on for anything.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How has life for first-generation students at Harvard changed from when Primus was started in 2013?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong> Something that we are really proud of is the <a href=\"https:\/\/fdo.fas.harvard.edu\/fyre\">First Year Retreat Experience<\/a> (FYRE) program for incoming first-year students, which was the result of advocacy efforts dating back to the founding of FGSU in 2013. It\u2019s taken years of work by a lot of student leaders on top of a job and on top of schoolwork, and we are finally seeing the results of that. The work isn\u2019t over yet, and we have to keep going, but the fact that FYRE was institutionalized by Harvard just proves that our voices coming together and fighting for something that matters really does have an impact.<\/p>\n<p>[FYRE\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2018\/08\/at-harvard-the-first-time-for-first-year-student-retreat\/\">launched in 2018<\/a>\u00a0as a two-year pilot program supported by the Dean of Student\u2019s Office and will continue next year.]<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>In the Red Book, you\u2019re telling your own stories in your own words. Why is that significant?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0To me, telling our stories this way is a way to feel fully included in the Harvard community. When I first came to Harvard, I quickly learned to hide my story. I didn\u2019t feel comfortable telling my story. It wasn\u2019t something that made me feel included; it was something that made me feel excluded. A big part of my Harvard identity has been learning to bring my full self to this community, and the Red Book is a tangible marker of that.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How have the first-gen community and other communities that you\u2019re a part of helped you feel more connected to the larger Harvard community?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0I believe in going inside of a community that empowers you, such that it fuels you to then bring your full self into an inclusive space, and that\u2019s exactly what the first-gen community has done for me. It\u2019s where I learned to tell my story. It\u2019s where I developed my skills as a leader and an organizer. I wouldn\u2019t be the Dan Lobo that I am today and the Harvard community member that I am today if I didn\u2019t have the opportunity to build myself up in a space that felt safer.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s also a tool to reclaim your identity. Coming to Harvard and being part of both the first-generation and Latinx communities has helped shape my experience. Hearing other people share their stories helps you to feel brave enough to step forward and share your own, and make connections to change your future, which is something I\u2019m really grateful for.<\/p>\n<p><em>Interview was edited for clarity and condensed for space.<\/em><\/p>\n"}],"innerHTML":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n\r\n\t\n\t\r\n\n\n<\/div>\n","innerContent":["\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n","\r\n\t","\n\t\r\n","\n\n<\/div>\n"],"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t<p>It was a day of firsts. Harvard alumni, students, and faculty gathered last Friday to mark the University\u2019s inaugural observance of the National First-Generation College Celebration, which highlights this community\u2019s contributions on campus. It also marked the unveiling of the First Generation Harvard Alumni Red Book, published by the Harvard Alumni Association. The publication gives first-gen graduates a way to keep up with each other in the same way the traditional Red Books have allowed the wider College and Radcliffe alumni community to share their life updates since the mid-1800s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStories change minds, change lives, even change history,\u201d said Dan Lobo \u201914, who was instrumental in the project. As a student, Lobo founded the Harvard College First Generation Student Union (FGSU) \u2014 now known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harvardprimus\/?ref=bookmarks\">Harvard Primus<\/a> \u2014 in 2013. Lobo, who is currently an undergraduate adviser in the Office of Career Services, is president of the <a href=\"http:\/\/firstgeneration.sigs.harvard.edu\/\">First Generation Harvard Alumni<\/a> shared-interest group. He and Alejandra Iglesias \u201921, president of Primus, spoke with the Gazette to reflect on their own experiences and the power of stories.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q&A<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dan Lobo and Alejandra Iglesias<\/h3>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>With the launch of the first-gen Red Book, does the idea that stories matter take on new meaning for you?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong> It can be easy to trivialize the impact of stories, but my experience has been that stories change lives. The story of the American dream is what brought my mom from a small island off the coast of Africa to the United States. The story of successful people going to Harvard is what got me to Harvard. I\u2019ve found that stories are a motivating factor in my life and in our community.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0I think what\u2019s important about the Red Book is that students sometimes don\u2019t feel comfortable opening up to each other, but you read these stories and feel validated. I think hearing people\u2019s voices, hearing their stories, empowers us to come forward and open up about our own.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>Tell me about the origins of the first-generation Red Book.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0We had been thinking for a number of years about how we could get to know each other better and share our stories with one another in our alumni shared-interest group. This serves as a community-building tool within our organization, but it also connects us back to students. It\u2019s like you\u2019re saying, \u201cWelcome to the community. We can\u2019t wait to connect with you.\u201d The Red Book provides a tangible way to begin to make those connections.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>What do you know now that you wish you had known as a first-year student?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0One of the things I\u2019m learning is to know when to ask for help. When you come here, you\u2019ve done everything on your own for so long. Then you get here, and you don\u2019t know anybody, but you get a peer advising fellow and a proctor and an academic adviser \u2014 all these different people who are there for you. And yet part of the first-gen experience is that you don\u2019t know how to actually go to them and say, \u201cI\u2019m struggling. Can you help me?\u201d And I made the mistake of not asking for help and nearly failing one of my classes.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Same here. I wish I knew that life\u2019s journey doesn\u2019t need to be so stressful. I wish I knew that exploration is supposed to be fun. Being hard on yourself is so counterproductive. I can see that clearly now. I would\u2019ve known that it\u2019s going to be fine, but it\u2019s hard to trust yourself in that way.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>Dan, how has being part of the First Generation Harvard Alumni shared-interest group helped you to navigate the experience of being first-gen?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong> <\/strong>The issues that come with being first-gen never end. The narrative goes that you get the College degree, you\u2019re on a path of upward social mobility, and everything\u2019s going to be all good. But my experience as an alumnus is that I can\u2019t get advice on career decisions from my parents, so seeking out mentors is extremely important. It\u2019s all completely new territory. You need advice from people who have gone through a similar experience, and that\u2019s what the First-Generation shared-interest group community has been for me.<\/p>\n\r\n\t\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/110619_First_Gen_QA_030_2500.jpg\" alt=\"Two people standing together.\" class=\"wp-image-291869\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">"I think what\u2019s important about the Red Book is that students sometimes don\u2019t feel comfortable opening up to each other, but you read these stories and feel validated,"said Dan Lobo, standing with Alejandra Iglesias.\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How does Primus connect and support students? How are alumni involved?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Primus does a lot of community building, working closely with the administration to advocate for issues that have to do with being first-gen on campus, planning social events, having professional-development opportunities, and just giving students a place to come together. One of the biggest ways alumni are involved is through the mentoring program, which pairs first-year students with alumni in the area to help guide students through that first year. My mentor, Mercedes Soto \u201990, has been there for me through so much. My first summer here, my housing fell through and I didn\u2019t know where to go. Without me even having to ask she offered me a room in her place. That was surreal to me. As a first-gen it\u2019s hard and takes a lot of courage to go up and ask for something, and for someone to just open their arms meant a lot to me. She\u2019s someone I can fall back on and really rely on for anything.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How has life for first-generation students at Harvard changed from when Primus was started in 2013?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong> Something that we are really proud of is the <a href=\"https:\/\/fdo.fas.harvard.edu\/fyre\">First Year Retreat Experience<\/a> (FYRE) program for incoming first-year students, which was the result of advocacy efforts dating back to the founding of FGSU in 2013. It\u2019s taken years of work by a lot of student leaders on top of a job and on top of schoolwork, and we are finally seeing the results of that. The work isn\u2019t over yet, and we have to keep going, but the fact that FYRE was institutionalized by Harvard just proves that our voices coming together and fighting for something that matters really does have an impact.<\/p>\n<p>[FYRE\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2018\/08\/at-harvard-the-first-time-for-first-year-student-retreat\/\">launched in 2018<\/a>\u00a0as a two-year pilot program supported by the Dean of Student\u2019s Office and will continue next year.]<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>In the Red Book, you\u2019re telling your own stories in your own words. Why is that significant?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0To me, telling our stories this way is a way to feel fully included in the Harvard community. When I first came to Harvard, I quickly learned to hide my story. I didn\u2019t feel comfortable telling my story. It wasn\u2019t something that made me feel included; it was something that made me feel excluded. A big part of my Harvard identity has been learning to bring my full self to this community, and the Red Book is a tangible marker of that.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>GAZETTE:\u00a0<\/strong> <\/strong>How have the first-gen community and other communities that you\u2019re a part of helped you feel more connected to the larger Harvard community?<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>lobo:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0I believe in going inside of a community that empowers you, such that it fuels you to then bring your full self into an inclusive space, and that\u2019s exactly what the first-gen community has done for me. It\u2019s where I learned to tell my story. It\u2019s where I developed my skills as a leader and an organizer. I wouldn\u2019t be the Dan Lobo that I am today and the Harvard community member that I am today if I didn\u2019t have the opportunity to build myself up in a space that felt safer.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Iglesias:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s also a tool to reclaim your identity. Coming to Harvard and being part of both the first-generation and Latinx communities has helped shape my experience. Hearing other people share their stories helps you to feel brave enough to step forward and share your own, and make connections to change your future, which is something I\u2019m really grateful for.<\/p>\n<p><em>Interview was edited for clarity and condensed for space.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n"}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":316870,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2020\/11\/next-gen-initiative-welcomes-another-group-of-firsts\/","url_meta":{"origin":290929,"position":0},"title":"Harvard comes together to support next-gen students","author":"harvardgazette","date":"November 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"With more than 15 percent of Harvard College students being the first in their families to pursue a college degree, the University has established the Next Gen Initiative to help first-generation, lower-income students overcome institutional barriers, address shared challenges, and find ways to integrate opportunities.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Second Annual First-Generation Student Celebration Zoom event.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/First_Gen1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/First_Gen1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/First_Gen1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/First_Gen1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":423291,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2026\/02\/class-of-2001-elects-alejandra-casillas-as-chief-marshal-of-alumni\/","url_meta":{"origin":290929,"position":1},"title":"Class of 2001 elects Alejandra Casillas as chief marshal of alumni","author":"Terry Murphy","date":"February 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Physician and health equity leader to serve in time-honored role","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Alejandra Casillas \u201901, M.D. \u201905","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1980-Alejandra-Casillas.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1980-Alejandra-Casillas.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1980-Alejandra-Casillas.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1980-Alejandra-Casillas.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":166579,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2015\/02\/something-to-write-home-about-in-detail\/","url_meta":{"origin":290929,"position":2},"title":"Learning on the fly","author":"harvardgazette","date":"February 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"First-generation students bring lessons to Harvard \u2015 of resilience, perseverance, and of talent\u2019s universality.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/022615_first_gen_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/022615_first_gen_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/022615_first_gen_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":179841,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/02\/a-stronger-sense-of-belonging\/","url_meta":{"origin":290929,"position":3},"title":"A stronger sense of belonging","author":"harvardgazette","date":"February 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Harvard will host a conference for first-generation college students at Ivy League universities this weekend.","rel":"","context":"In "Nation & World"","block_context":{"text":"Nation & World","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/nation-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/021816_gen_394_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/021816_gen_394_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/021816_gen_394_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":181605,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/04\/college-admits-2037\/","url_meta":{"origin":290929,"position":4},"title":"College admits 2,037","author":"harvardgazette","date":"April 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The members of the Harvard Class of 2020 have received their acceptance notifications. The College is admitting 2,037 applicants from a record pool of 39,041.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/103015_features_0313_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/103015_features_0313_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/103015_features_0313_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":167985,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2015\/04\/harvard-college-admits-1990\/","url_meta":{"origin":290929,"position":5},"title":"Harvard College admits 1,990","author":"harvardgazette","date":"April 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"On March 31, admission notifications were sent to 1,990 of the record 37,307 who applied for admission to the Harvard College Class of 2019.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/admissions605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/admissions605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/admissions605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131912115"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290929"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":291952,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290929\/revisions\/291952"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/291870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290929"},{"taxonomy":"format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/gazette-formats?post=290929"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=290929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}