Pre-Med major Ana Julia says she used to be a quiet person who lacked assertiveness before she attended Framingham State University. A first-generation student who immigrated from Brazil to Framingham, MA when she was 12, Ana Julia originally found America to be a different environment from what she was used to.   

“I thought college would be so scary and professors would be mean to you,” she says. “But it’s not like that. What surprised me was how supportive and caring the community is here. I don’t just mean clubs or friends and other students. I mean the staff, advisors, and professors.” 

Finding Her Community 

When she started connecting with clubs at Framingham State, Ana Julia saw the “college magic” that’s preparing her for life itself. She says the community she found here equips her with skills like teamwork, critical thinking, time management, and problem-solving in her day-to-day life. No longer quiet or scared, today Ana Julia is confident and ready.  

Her family continues to support her nearby, so despite her proximity to Boston, Ana Julia chose Framingham State because she wanted a calmer, peaceful, smaller college experience that would give her the support she needs. She still goes to Boston for fun to hang out but believes it would be too overwhelming and crowded for her studies.  

In addition to her learning, Ana Julia participates in both student government and the Salvation Youth Group, an art group on campus. Despite studying for Pre-Med, she likes to paint, write poetry, and take photos to express her artistic side. 

She also loves that FSU’s community is accepting of diversity.  

“I thought that being an immigrant from another country, no one would ever understand my struggles,” she says. “What I experienced was something that got to my heart and mind and built so much understanding, seeing diversity on campus. It made me grow as a student, a person, and a woman of color.” 

Financial Relief 

Despite the accepting and supportive community, her first year as a student was difficult because she struggled to pay tuition as a non-citizen without financial aid. Even with a scholarship, she still worked, and her parents picked up second jobs to cover the bill.  

“I remember being frustrated and praying and crying to God, because every bit of my paycheck would go to my tuition,” she says. 

But by the end of her first year, Ana Julia was awarded MASFA aid by the state government, offered to immigrants with social security numbers.  

“That was a lifesaver for me and my family,” she says. “Me and my dad, we looked at the billing account and were like, ‘Huh, that doesn’t seem right.’ We called the university about five times, and they said, ‘Everything is covered.’ We were jumping with joy!” 

This year, Ana Julia joined the Honors Program, proving that her studies and efforts paid off. 

When asked what advice she would give to other First-Generation students, she says, “Go back to your childhood, when you had big dream that you may have forgotten and left behind. Find those dreams and have the ambition to go after them.”