Video Interviews
These interviews feature community college graduates (and near graduates) and first-generation students reflecting on their academic journeys in their own words. Each video offers insight into the motivations, challenges, and decisions that shaped their experience—from first-day anxiety to choosing majors, managing work and school, and building relationships on campus. You’re invited to listen deeply, pause where something resonates, and share these stories with students or colleagues who may benefit from them. When viewing these interviews, please:
Do not download, repost, or share the videos outside of this site.
Approach the stories with the same care and respect you would in a face-to-face conversation.
Thank you for helping protect and honor the voices of our students.
There are two ways to navigate the video library.
To get to popular themes or to return back to the full video library, use the “skip to” feature below.
To follow smaller themes, note that each video post has tags listed at the bottom of the description page. Click on a tag to get to other videos with the same tag.
Click on the student’s photo to get to their full interview.
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Chunyan
BREAKING EXPECTATIONS AND FINDING HER VOICE
Chunyan graduated in 2017 with an Associate’s in General Studies with the plan to continue at a four-year university. She is a first-generation college student and an immigrant from China. By attending college, Chunyan went against her grandmother’s expectations of women, but feels that the choice to attend college allows her to be independent and build a strong future for herself. She has had some academic challenges since English is not her first language, but has used resources to overcome this challenge including the tutoring center, the Writing Lab, friends, and faculty office hours. She finds faculty office hours to be particularly important because then her teachers know that she cares about her education.
Nancy
OVERCOMING PRIDE AND FINDING SUPPORT
Nancy will graduate from Harold Washington in Spring of 2019 with a concentration in communications. She is a first-generation college student and a first-generation American. She recounts her early struggles: failing a philosophy test, and working to get over her pride to ask her professors for help. But, she explains, she realized that even her most intimidating professor was once a student too. Nancy appreciated the supports at Harold Washington and used the Wellness Center, faculty office hours, student clubs, support from peers, study groups, and other campus resources.