A First-Generation College Student Explains How His Experiences Helped Him Transition from One Place to the Next

The First Generation College Celebration is held annually on Nov. 8. First-generation students have unique strengths and challenges, and it can be very helpful for you to connect with people who share your experiences and resources tailored to your situation. 

If you are the first in your family to attend college and have the goal of completing your college degree, check out the support available to students like you at the college of your choice. 

For example, Luther College is a member of the FirstGen Forward Network. Twenty-eight percent of new students starting at Luther in fall 2025 were first-generation. Luther offers the TRIO Student Support Services program and other means of support for first-generation college students. 

On Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, first-generation college student Geremiah Brown ’26 spoke for the Luther chapel service. Inside College Admissions brings you his story to encourage you in your college journey. 

Learning from Every Transition

Hey everyone, for those of you who don’t know me, my name is Geremiah Brown and I’m a senior here at Luther College. For those of you who do know me, I’m still Geremiah. You’ll have to bear with me, because the last time I’ve done any sort of public speaking, I was graduating from the 8th grade as my class’s valedictorian. To this day, I’m still trying to figure out how exactly I pulled that off. (Probably had something to do with the fact that it was a class size of like seven people, but I was valedictorian nonetheless.) 

From that time in eighth grade, I’ve had to go through many transitions and many firsts. I transitioned to high school, and I think that was the first time I found out that studying was actually essential in order to get good grades. Then I transitioned on to junior college and learned that I can’t spend all of my money on video games and gummy bears. 

From junior college, I transferred here. I learned that if I just wear a hoodie and sweats for winter like I did back home in California, then I’d probably get sick every other week. The point is, I was able to learn something from every first, every transition and every experience that I’ve had. 

Mark 5:21 says that “Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side…” This is one of the many verses talking about Jesus going from one place to the next. Now I won’t stand here and preach before you all—I could just call my mom and she would be more than happy to do that for me. But what I will do is talk about how my experiences helped ME to transition from one place to the next. 

What Happened When I Ran into Trouble

Growing up, there was my mom, my four sisters, my little brother and me. By default I earned the title of “Man of the House.” I was excited to have my title, until it meant I actually had to ‘have my title.’ In other words, I had to grow up. I had watched my mom take care of all of us, no matter what life threw at her. And life threw a LOT at my mother. But it was because of her resilience that we made it through. And as the “Man of the House,” I had to transition from being a boy to a resilient fighter like my mother. 

I was truly blessed to have been given a mom like my mom. She prepared me for my life just by teaching me not to give up on anything, and also teaching me the most important tool of all: God’s word. 

These tools came in handy whenever I ran into trouble. In junior college, I struggled. I struggled badly. I lived about an hour’s drive from my junior college, so I moved into an apartment with my best friend to be a little closer to school. Let’s just say that wasn’t the best of ideas. 

I had to balance my money between food, gas, expenses from my car always breaking down, paying rent money in California, then on top of all that I was supposed to be a college student. 

This led me to the lowest of places, both physically and mentally. I let bad thoughts creep into my mind and tell me things like: The reason I was struggling was because I wasn’t supposed to be the person in my family to go to college. Or college wasn’t for me at all. That I didn’t truly have the strength or resilience that I thought I inherited from my mother. 

I thought that because nobody in my family had gone to college, they couldn’t help me. So I didn’t ask for any help. I was just prepared to be a failure. 

Learning That I Wasn’t Alone

But, when I counted myself out, God didn’t. Somehow He got me into church. I got baptized. Life started to go right. Suddenly, I didn’t view my struggles as just struggles. They became valuable lessons, and I was grateful for each of them. 

I also ended up realizing that I wasn’t alone. I may have been the first in my family to go to college, but I’m not the first generation in my family to fight for something. I don’t know much about my grandfather, but I know he immigrated from Liberia to the U.S. to fight for a better life for his children. And of course I’ve seen my mother fight for a better life for her six children every day. 

In junior college, it was just my turn to finally fight. Fight for a degree so that my countless nieces, nephews, cousins, and siblings, who think that college isn’t for them, can realize that it can be. That they can accomplish anything. So, I chased that degree. Chased it all the way to Decorah, Iowa. 

The hard part was over, right? Nah, I struggled when I got here, and I’m still struggling today. But this time, God made sure I was well equipped. I was blessed with a multitude of brothers. (Shout out Luther football.) My girlfriend and her family came into my life and took care of me. (I gained about 30-40 pounds after meeting them.) I had my family backing me. 

And of course, I had my past lessons to guide me. In Jeremiah 29:11, God declares, “For I know the plans I have for you.” If God wanted me or any of us to fail, then He wouldn’t walk with us as we transition from one place to the next. 

God was with my grandad when he transitioned to a new country. While I was growing up, He was with my mother as she fought every day. He was with me when I struggled in Juco. He was with me when I transferred here. And He is still with me now. 

I still struggle today with a lot of things. But because of my past experiences, I have trust and faith that I am well equipped enough to face anything that life throws my way. 

I’ll leave you all with one last thing. When you transition from one place to the next, and you start to struggle, think about how far you’ve come. All the challenges you’ve faced and overcome. Then once you do that, think about where you want to go. Then go there. Thank you. And God bless.

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