To All First Generation Professionals, You Are a Gift

by Kim Barrett, MBA, MPS

As is the case with many first-generation professionals, I grew up with only the bare necessities and attended public school. Neither of my parents attended college. In fact, neither of them even graduated high school. It wasn’t until they were well into adulthood that they each (separately) earned a GED. They worked, but didn’t make a lot of money. Because they were not exposed to higher education, they did not know how to guide me and my siblings through the process. We were told that we could not attend college because they simply could not afford it. That was true for most of the people in my neighborhood. The question was not where you were going to college, it was ifyou were going to college. But, somehow I always knew that there was more to life than what our limited resources exposed us to. I knew that there had to be more.

I recently attended a women’s empowerment event and the theme of the event was “you are a gift.” This theme got my brain working. Although I was not taught how to behave in a professional environment, or did not have the privilege that others had to access a professional environment, I knew that I still had gifts to offer a professional corporation. As a first-generation professional, you must remember that you too are a gift. You are a gift to your employer, to your department, to those you lead, to those who lead you, to anyone who looks up to you, and most importantly, to other first-generation professionals. Your gifts are what gave you the drive to rise above your circumstances and become the first in your family to become a professional. Your gifts provide your colleagues with the unique perspective that you bring to the table.

I did not always believe that I was a gift or that I possessed any gifts that would be useful or valuable to a professional environment. I remember starting out as a young professional thinking that everyone could tell that I came from humble beginnings. I did not feel like I belonged in the same room with the other professionals who had traveled the world and attended fancy events. I was a statistic. I was a single mom who had a child out of wedlock. Who was I to think that I belonged in the same room as an executive, the CEO, a lawyer, a doctor? Well, today I know who I am and who I was. I was a determined young person who knew that I had much more to offer than my current circumstances dictated. I knew that there was more to life than my limited experiences had showed me. I knew I could be successful; I just had to figure out my path forward. I sought out people who were in positions of influence and mustered up the courage to ask them how they got there. I followed their advice and did my own research as well. I became a research guru. I asked questions of everyone I thought could give me an answer, then I researched that information to see if there was more I could find out. Once I started to attend college, I figured out how to get the funding I needed to continue to take classes. I befriended professionals who were in the legal industry and discussed my goals with them. Surprisingly, they were happy to share information and advice. I started taking classes one by one. It took me approximately fourteen years to earn my bachelor’s degree. Once that was complete, I went on to earn a master’s degree, then an MBA. Tenacity is key. You have to keep pushing even when you’re tired. You have to want to succeed more than your fears will let you believe you can. You just have to keep moving forward.

When you’re not exposed to certain things in your home environment, you sometimes feel left out in the professional environment. It’s ok if you don’t know which fork is the salad fork and which fork is the dessert fork; just ask. It’s ok if the first time you flew on an airplane you were almost an adult; experience it. It’s ok to feel scared or nervous when you are walking into a new environment that is vastly different than the one you are used to; embrace it. You are not an imposter; you belong exactly where you are because you are a gift. You worked for it, you earned it, grab it, use it, enjoy it, and pay it forward!