Southwestern Magazine | Spring 2020

DURING THE WEEKS OF MID-NOVEMBER before Thanksgiving, Janet Del Real ’10, who’s frequently busy between shifts at the Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera, California, where she works as a registered nurse, fired off a quick text: Hi Neha, she wrote. How’s your semester going? Looking forward to fall break, I imagine? Neha Momin ’22, a sophomore at Southwestern University, responded promptly: I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving break! she texted back. It’s beensuchabusyweek,with3testsandtworeports,butI’mworking my way through it haha. I actually have an organic chemistry test tonight. Best of luck in o chem, Del Real wrote a couple hours later. I do not miss those days, but you CAN DO IT! Del Real and Momin are part of a mentorship program that pairs current first-generation college students with faculty, staff, and alumni. The program is part of Captain’s Academy, a voluntary program for first-generation students that launched in 2016. As of fall 2019, first-generation students make up 17% of Southwestern students. As the University seeks to diversify its student body, it has developed programs like Captain’s Academy to support the success of first-generation students. The program, funded by the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas Foundation, prepares students for college life by hosting advising sessions led by mentors who familiarize the students with resources that can benefit them throughout their college experience—from preparing for finals and deciding on rushing a fraternity or sorority to filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The academy also schedules alumni panels and teaches students to celebrate their successes by throwing social meet-ups and luring students in with the promise of free Chipotle. Captain’s Academy has proven to be successful. In the 2018– 2019 class, 94% of the participants stayed at SU for another year and maintained a 3.12 GPA, whereas first-generation students who did not participate in the academy had an 83% retention rate and a 2.82 GPA. Leaders within Southwestern University’s Alumni Association were inspired by the impressive outcomes of Captain’s Academy and looked to find ways for alumni to participate in the program. So a working group within the Alumni Council collaborated with Captain’s Academy to integrate alumni into the program’s mentoring relationships. Since reaching out to alumni who self-identified as first-generation, over 30 have stepped up to serve. As the second person in her family to go to college, Del Real would have appreciated a program like Captain’s Academy, so when she got an email about mentoring, she wanted to be involved. Unsurprisingly, she was one of the first to respond to the call. Del Real grew up in California’s Central Valley with her parents and four older brothers. Her parents immigrated fromMexico around 40 years ago, and both worked in a cannery. “Of course, my parents wanted us to live a better life than they did, but they didn’t really know what college was,” says Del Real. In high school, Del Real knew she wanted to enter into the medical profession. She volunteered at a hospital and got involved in the American Cancer Society. Meanwhile, one of Del Real’s older brothers was accepted to a small school in Iowa. When it was her turn to apply, he helped guide her, along with her college counselors and friends’ parents. Del Real knew she wanted a supportive, small environment with a good premed or biology program. She also knew she would need a scholarship. She narrowed her list of colleges down to private schools in California and Texas, where her cousin lived. When her uncle took a roadtrip to see his daughter, she tagged along and checked B Y C L A R A M C M I C H A E L ' 1 7 FIRST CLASS, FIRST GENERATION Building connections, mentorship, and friendship. 21 SOUTHWESTERN