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When Saint Mary’s was established in 1863, its founder had first-generation students in mind. Joseph Alemany, San Francisco’s first archbishop, envisioned a college for the “children of Miners, Mechanics, and Agriculturists,” the working people of the fledgling state. 

According to the most recent data, around one in three Saint Mary’s students today are trailblazers, the first in their family to pursue a college degree. For many first-generation students—“First-Gens,” as they often refer to themselves—the journey to and through college brings unique struggles—and surprises. We regularly ask First-Gen Gaels to share, in their own words, their history, hopes, and advice for the next generation.

Meet Ashley Hernandez ’23, a first-generation college student who earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Clinical/Counseling concentration. She is currently pursuing her MS in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Southern California. Her passion lies in community mental health, social justice, and social advocacy, and she’s already working to make mental health services accessible to underserved communities as a clinician and a patient care coordinator. 

The road to Saint Mary’s

I grew up in Santa Clarita, California, in a first-generation Mexican household. Education was super important in my family, but the understanding of how to get to higher education was not really there. However, my family’s educational values were instilled in me. So with the guidance of a couple of aunts—and honestly, the internet—I was able to attend Saint Mary’s right out of high school.  

What drew me to Saint Mary’s were the small class sizes. Having my professor know my name, and being in a small enough class where I would be held accountable, was important to me, as well as being connected to a community in that way. 

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Support on campus (and the dancefloor) 

What helped me stay at Saint Mary’s, though, was the High Potential (HP) Program. It was a thrilling experience to be in college and be the first one in my family to go. But it was a hard thing to navigate by myself, especially with having imposter syndrome and feeling homesick. 

The HP program showed me my worth. The program is dedicated to sustaining first-generation students like me by providing resources, support, community, and a place where their voices can be heard. One way they do this is by assigning each HP student a Success Coach. Mine was Sharzad Mozaffar, who was also the HP program's Associate Director at the time. I credit her with everything; Sharzad was one of the best people, always there to support me and help me stay in school. You also get a peer mentor in your first year. Melissa Burnett ’20, my mentor, helped me navigate the whole system of SMC and all the challenges of college. 

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The Latino community at Saint Mary’s is another thing that helped me keep going. I was part of Baile Folklórico Guadalupano all four years and eventually served as the co-president as a senior. There was so much community in that little room where we rehearsed. That experience was a combination of community advocacy and creating a bond with those folks, many of whom were also in the HP program. Before, I never had the opportunity to dance Folklórico or Mexican traditional dance. It was an honor to do that at SMC. 

A Gael force of support

As a junior entering senior year, I really started thinking about applying to Marriage and Family Therapist programs. Growing up in an immigrant Latino family, mental health issues were dismissed and ignored. When my family was in crisis, they chose to isolate themselves, and I saw firsthand the detrimental effects of the stigma and shame around mental health. I want to normalize mental health and make mental health services more accessible, particularly in BIPOC communities. 

But applying to graduate school was more extensive than I thought it would be! It wasn’t just an application; you had to build up your résumé, ask professors for letters of recommendation, and then do multiple rounds of interviews. 

Fortunately, during my final year, the HP program collaborated with the Career Center, who helped me get my résumé in shape. Plus, a few of the Success Coaches in the HP program also graduated from MFT programs, so they were able to help me shape my personal statement and practice the interview questions. 

I’m also so grateful to Saint Mary’s Psychology Department. It’s such a close-knit family, and faculty all show that they care for the students. As you take classes with professors over and over again, you develop these really strong relationships. Two of them—José Feito and Emily Hause—wrote letters that helped me get into USC. I also have to thank Paul Zarnoth, who amazingly took me on as a research assistant, even though I had no research experience. My research with Paul definitely gave me an advantage when I was applying to graduate programs.

"The Latino community at Saint Mary’s is another thing that helped me keep going.... Before, I never had the opportunity to dance Folklórico or Mexican traditional dance. It was an honor to do that at SMC."

Serving the community

I’m now in my second year of my MFT program at USC. I really do have this passion for serving folks who are underrepresented and underserved. I think that stems from my experience of being a first-gen student in higher education as well as my Sociology minor. In my sociology classes at Saint Mary’s, I learned a lot about wealth and social class. It’s given me an intersectional lens as a therapist and the ability to acknowledge the systems at play. 

In undergrad, I interned as a mediator for Sentinel Youth Services. I did two kinds of mediation: one for families and one for folks under 18 with crime-related issues. They would come in to do the mediation to prevent them having to go to jail or have something on their record. It’s an approach using a restorative justice lens, so that youth are not tied to this one experience. They’re still able to continue their life, rather than just being held by one event that happened to them. 

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Now I work as a Patient Care Coordinator for the Samuel Dixon Family Health Center. It’s a nonprofit counseling service that specifically assists those who are uninsured or underinsured. I’m able to help people from the Santa Clarita community get resources and start the process of getting therapy. On certain days I serve as a clinician there as part of my graduate practicum, where I have my caseload of folks, from kiddos to older adults. They are all people who are uninsured or underinsured and predominantly people of color, all carrying intersecting identities. 

Encouragement—and paying it forward

Keep looking for experiences. From my time at the library to my time as a mediator, all those different experiences within Saint Mary’s and externally have prepared me for what I’m doing now.

I would also say to be eager and ask the right questions. It took me so long to get over my fear of asking questions or asking for help. Reach out to the people who are there to support you. Again, being first-generation, it was so hard for me to go to my professors or other networks to ask for help or guidance. There are a lot of people who do want to help. I’m one of them! 

After graduating from Saint Mary’s, I’ve had a couple of folks reach out to me about applying to grad school. I want to continue being that kind of person for SMC students and help out as much as I can. It’s an intimidating process. I want to give back as much as the community gave to me. 

(This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.)

Jordan Sapp MFA ’25 is a graduate editorial fellow with the Office of Marketing & Communications. Write her.