For first-gen Sun Devil, school spirit runs in the family
Lorena Mora started her first year as a psychology major this fall, but her path to Arizona State University and even her major seemed to run in the family. Mora is the fourth child in her family to attend ASU. Two of her older siblings are ASU alumni, and she has another sibling who is currently a student at ASU.
“I always knew I wanted to go to college due to the fact that I am a first-generation student. My older siblings served as some great college role models growing up, and I always knew one day I’d be on their same route,” Mora said.
Before she attended college, she participated in ASU’s American Dream Academy, an eight-week program that helps families gain the tools and confidence to make sure their children are prepared for a successful university experience (the program is now available online). Mora’s mother helped to bring the program to her school at the time, and they were able to learn more about attending a university.
First-year Sun Devil Lorena Mora
“[The American Dream Academy] was a very transformative program that has changed our lives for the better,” Mora said.
Mora built up even more school spirit by attending multiple ASU Family Weekends for her siblings. Spending time on campus and seeing how much her siblings loved ASU encouraged her to attend herself.
One of her siblings majored in psychology, and another is double majoring in psychology and criminal justice. Mora also chose psychology as her major because she has always been fascinated by the human mind and its complexities. In the future, she wants to use her psychology degree to help families and influence positive change within communities.
Mora is a first-generation student and an Obama Scholar, and seeing her older siblings attend college motivated her to work hard in school. She is the youngest of six kids, and she admires her older siblings’ academic accomplishments.
Mora said ASU is the perfect fit for her because she has the opportunity to be a part of a large university while remaining close to her family in Phoenix. She is looking forward to increased independence, meeting new people and getting involved with clubs and organizations on campus.