For many people, Hispanic Heritage Month is a marking of culture and heritage. For some first-generation female students, it is also a celebration of their higher education and what that means to them and their families.

Hispanic students make up 40% of the student population at Texas State, with 43% of the school’s undergraduate students as first-generation. Hispanic and Latino students, on average, are more likely to be first-generation students than any other ethnic group, with roughly 44% of Hispanic/Latino students being the first in their families to attend a university in the U.S., according to a Best Colleges report in 2022. 

Three first-generation Hispanic women who shared their journey to Texas State are a part of Latinas Unidas — a social club on campus for Hispanic and Latina women to embrace their culture, empowerment and fellowship with one another.