My name is Daniel Rivera. I am a graduating senior studying Applied Speech Communication and Spanish for the Professions.
So excited to graduate from those
programs. I am a first-generation college
student. So both of my parents immigrated
from Mexico a while back and they had
big dreams to send their kids off to
American universities. They heard some
awesome things and soon I became the
first in my family to attend a four-year
institution now I'm the first one to
graduate from a four-year college. So
very exciting, very happy to not only
represent my culture and my community but
also honor my parents in really what
they sacrificed about these past years
then being in the United States. assimilating to the culture and really
growing up and teaching their children
how to learn and live within their
within our world today.
Really it was the resources that Ferris
offered me that was, that he gave me a
opportunity to even go to college, so,
being low-income, coming from a family
that you know first-generation in the United States is often difficult because
college is about offering something
that's ingrained in our culture and so
when I was in high school it was I had
the question of "am I going to college? Is that
even a thing for me?"
And when it came time resources like TIP,
like merit-based scholarships, really
helped me and my journey of choosing the
right college and Ferris was really
there for me when it came to deciding
which university to go to. So, I've had
the wonderful privilege of being a part
of a lot of organizations so I've been a
member of the Hispanic Student
Organization since my first week here at
Ferris. Promesa Scholars Program I've
served as a mentor for three years in a
row. I have served as the Interfraternity
Council president. I have been the Newman
Civic fellow for Ferris State University.
Recently I have won the Homecoming
Ambassador at the Homecoming game. So I
was able to really campaign, the student
experience the pillars of diversity that
Ferris has to offer. And, it was awesome
because I used my campaign slogan in
Spanish. So, really advocating for my
culture and my language and just really
showing our community that you know this
is you know we bring awesome assets to
the world so.
Here at Ferris, students really design
their own experience college experience
however they want to and when I came to
college I was really lost I was really
confused in terms of how do i navigate
this journey of post-secondary
institution, college experience and I
was know confused and so really I had to
venture out and you know design my own
curriculum, I guess you could say, in
terms of how I would navigate these next
four years.
I just you know hope that students who
look like me, students who come from
similar backgrounds, students that you
know speak the same languages like you I
just hope that you know they're out
there seeing it is they're out there
confused if college is for them, I hope
that you know they continue their dreams
of going to college and obtaining a
higher education because education is a
human right and every human on this
planet deserves an education so I really
hope that they continue and strive for
the best. Just know that you know their
dreams are valid and one day you will
walk the stage and obtain those degrees.
A lot of us can do it, you know we're all
here for each other, so.
