FirstGens make it at Georgia State and pay it forward

Features – The Signal Being a FirstGen college student is not easy. With hard work and support from Georgia State, however,  these students and alum beat the odds and now some are even paying it forward for future FirstGen students at Georgia State.
Ferdye Bamaca-Forkel was a first-generation college student who had to figure it out by herself.Photo submitted by Ferdye Bamaca-ForkelFor Georgia State University alum Ferdye Bamaca-Forkel, college was a dream she had to make happen for herself. Ferdye’s dad had dropped out of college in the first year and her mother and siblings never attended.
“I was in classrooms where students were like I’m here because my parents made me or it was given to them that they were going to go,” Bamaca-Forkel said. “But with me, there was no one that showed me how you apply to college or how to apply for scholarships. I had to look out and be the one who asked questions. It was really hard to do that.”
Bamaca-Forkel applied for over a dozen scholarships, not knowing if she would receive them. They were her only means of getting an education.
“My parents absolutely could not afford it,” Bamaca-Forkel said.
Bamaca-Forkel was accepted to receive four of the 14 scholarships she applied for, allowing her to attend college debt-free. In Georgia State, she made it into national honors societies and onto the Dean’s and President’s list.
“When I got into national honors societies I was happy,” Bamaca-Forkel said. “Even my last semester before I graduated, I got into the President’s list and I was obviously really excited because I finished off my college career really strong. But when I told my parents, my mom was like what’s that? I have to explain why I’m happy and I have to explain why this is such a great achievement.”
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