Claribeth Gutierrez is a first-generation student who earned an associate in business administration from SUNY’s Orange County Community College. She is currently a rising senior at Baruch College, where she is pursuing a bachelor’s in marketing management. She connected with CCRC through the CUNY Career Launch program and is spending her summer as an intern working with the communications team to research and write blogs.
In this Q&A, Gutierrez reflects on her transition to college and experience as a transfer student and discusses her interest in helping first-generation students navigate higher education and improving the transfer student experience.
This Q&A has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Jue: What interests you the most about higher education?
Gutierrez: The aspect of higher education that interests me the most is the ways we can help first-generation students. As a first-generation student, I fully understand the challenges that come with navigating higher education, such as being aware of all the resources available, understanding the application process, filling out the FAFSA, financing a degree, and choosing a field of study. Many of these challenges aren’t often highlighted, and I hope to learn more and to help develop initiatives and programs to make navigating higher education easier and less frustrating.
Jue: As a first-generation student myself, I completely agree that navigating higher education can be more daunting and challenging for students like us. What was your transition to college like? What challenges or difficulties did you face?
Gutierrez: After graduating from high school, I took some time off before going into college. Once I was ready, I attended a community college—SUNY Orange—where I obtained my associate degree before transferring to Baruch College for my bachelor’s. A major challenge I faced was that, despite the fact that there are so many scholarships and financial aid opportunities out there that could have benefitted me, I wasn’t aware of some of their requirements or policies, and this affected my eligibility. When transferring, many programs were only available to incoming freshman students, so I missed out on those opportunities.
Jue: Why did you choose to attend community college instead of the more traditional path of going straight into a four-year degree?
Gutierrez: I needed to readjust to being a student again and get myself into the routine of attending classes and completing assignments, and community college was the most cost-effective option for me. I also wasn’t sure of what career I wanted to pursue and I felt that attending a community college would help me find a path. I chose to attend SUNY Orange because it was located in my hometown, which allowed me to stay with my family, work, and attend classes. And it offered dedicated transfer programs designed to help students transition smoothly into a four-year degree.
Jue: Why did you choose Baruch for your bachelor’s?
Gutierrez: I chose Baruch for several reasons. A professor at SUNY Orange recommended Baruch to me, and I also had an opportunity to speak with a Baruch representative during a recruitment event, which gave me a better understanding of what the school had to offer. Also, since Baruch is well-known for its rigorous business programs, I felt that it was a school that aligned with my career interests in marketing.
Jue: It sounds like you made this decision very decisively, and it’s great that you’re attending a school that fosters your interests and goals. Moving on to your work here at CCRC, what projects are you currently working on as a communications intern?
Gutierrez: I’m currently working on a blog about transfer students that focuses on the transfer student experience, the challenges they face, and the ways we can make the transfer process easier. For this blog, I’ve been interviewing transfer students from different schools to gain insight into their experiences, the struggles they encountered, the resources that helped them, and the things they wish they were aware of during this process.
Jue: How have your experiences at SUNY Orange and as a transfer student influenced your blog and the other work that you do here at CCRC? Is there anything that you are particularly interested in addressing?
Gutierrez: My firsthand experiences of being a community college student and going through the transfer process have helped keep my blog grounded in the student perspective. Also, I am able to understand the experiences that the students are sharing in the interviews. The challenges that community college, first-generation, and transfer students face are what I’m particularly passionate about addressing. I want students who are navigating these struggles to know that they are not alone and that there are people who understand what they’re going through and want to help.
Jue: It’s really admirable that you’re using your experiences to help others who might be encountering similar challenges. What have you learned during your time as a communications intern?
Gutierrez: I’ve learned the importance of research and how it can be very broad and go in different directions. We often don’t recognize the impact it has on us, but experiencing firsthand how research is conducted and through my conversations with several researchers here at CCRC, I can see how their work has positively impacted students.
Jue: I agree, research is so open-ended and we often don’t stop to think about how this type of work is performed or its significance to the world around us. What do you enjoy the most about your internship here at CCRC?
Gutierrez: The thing that I enjoy the most about interning here at CCRC is having the freedom to work on projects in my own way and working with colleagues who are always willing to provide me with suggestions, feedback, and assistance along the way.
Jue: Lastly, what are your long-term goals?
Gutierrez: My long-term goals involve gaining more experience in the marketing field. After I graduate, I want to work in brand marketing. However, interning at CCRC has also made me develop an interest in improving higher education policy. I hope to pursue a career where I can incorporate both of these interests in my work to help make higher education more equitable, especially for community college, transfer, and first-generation students.
