Last week, we observed National First Generation College Celebration Day. I’ve been thinking about the impact of being first generation makes on my experience. When you’re a first-generation student, navigating the complexities of the higher education system takes longer—you spend so much extra time trying to figure it out. The parents of first-generation students did not attend college, so we learn to navigate higher education on our own. And so navigating systems within higher education (financial aid, program requirements, course registration, etc.) easily becomes a barrier to learning….