For most first-generation college students in the United States, the path to graduation is filled with many challenges, including navigating financial aid and managing family expectations without a roadmap. University of Saint Mary soon-to-be senior Mattias “Matti” Lopez is changing that story, both for himself and other students.
Learning to Be a Campus Leader
Lopez, an exercise science major and football player from Reno, Nevada, remembers his own difficult transition to college life. “One of the biggest things for me was the pressure of it all,” Lopez explains. “I never wanted to disappoint my family. I always knew I was here for a reason—to get an education and make them proud.”
Like many first-generation students, Lopez initially assumed his high school study habits would suffice in college. Reality quickly set in. “When I hit my other courses, I actually had to take my time and study,” he says.
Financial challenges compounded his academic adjustment. During his freshman year, Lopez faced difficulties balancing the costs of education with other responsibilities. His challenges were not unusual for first-generation students and influenced his decision to become a mentor in the first-generation program at USM.
Turning Personal Experience Into Mentorship
Nearing his senior year, Lopez uses his early struggles to help younger students. As a mentor in Saint Mary’s first-generation program, he works with 25 underclassment who are the first in their families to attend college.
“With the first-generation program, I wanted to help students make that transition and not make the same mistakes I did,” Lopez says. “It’s about creating a support system and forming friendships that help students navigate everything from managing stress to finding campus resources.”
The program offers participants a $1,000 per semester scholarship. It provides freshmen and sophomores with upperclassmen mentors. Juniors and seniors continue their scholarship by becoming mentors. The university provides them with professional development opportunities, including Certified Peer Educator training from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). Ken Slover, USM’s Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, notes, “The mentors earn some credentials with it.” This training helps mentors working in small groups learn how to identify challenges happening in the student community.
Addressing Common Challenges
Through his mentoring sessions, Lopez has seen common obstacles that first-generation students face.
“Many students feel the need to work a job for excessive hours,” he notes. “When they’re working too much, it takes focus off their education, and grades start slipping.”
Lopez recognizes the critical importance of retention. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen some students drop out after freshman year,” he says. “My role is letting them know they can succeed here.”
The mentoring relationship creates valuable connections beyond academic relationships. As Slover explains, mentorship allows students to “be able to find a connection with somebody that’s not your coach, who’s not your faculty member or advisor. It’s another student who may be completely random, who’s not going in the same circles.”
Slover emphasizes that the program’s focus is on survival skills: “The first year experience is, almost, how to survive college. It could be anything from stress management to understanding the resources of the community.”
Building Community That Keeps Students Engaged
For Lopez, community has been central to his college experience. “My friends are one of the main reasons I come back every year—just seeing them and knowing I’m not alone out here.”
This sense of belonging is precisely what the first-generation program aims to cultivate. When it began four years ago, the program served about 20 students. Now, Slover anticipates approximately 275 participants next semester, supported by 34 mentors like Lopez.
“Overall, we’ve had pretty positive results from a retention standpoint,” Slover says, noting that student retention is the university’s number one strategic initiative. The program requires a GPA standard of a 2.5 for mentors and includes attending regular sessions.
As he looks toward his senior year, Lopez plans to finish strong academically to prepare for the university’s physical therapy graduate program, while continuing as a first-gen mentor.
For students like Lopez and the underclassmen he mentors, this dedicated support system can help students achieve academic success and build a stronger university community.
This story appeared in the 2025 Summer Edition of Voices of Charity.
