MILWAUKEE, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - Freshman Jessica Antonio is a first generation college student at UW-Madison and Spectrum News profiled her just 'one month ago' on campus.
She talked about the struggles she often has to overcome being the first person in her family to pursue a college degree.
“I definitely think it’s a struggle because I’m figuring out certain things that I can’t talk to my parents about, but I think it’s pretty exciting and a great opportunity to me,” Jessica said in February of 2020.
On March 23, she began navigating another challenge. Completing her Freshman year online because of COVID-19.
“I didn’t realize how much of a struggle it was actually going to be,” she says. “My high school counselor reached out to me and checked in and she also mentioned there’s an emergency fund for alumni only, so there’s economic support.”
Jessica says UW provides emails with mental health resources and advisors are always making time to have conversations with students who have questions.
“My advisor Tiffany is always calling us to check in,” Jessica says. “She also gave an online course on how to navigate online courses.”
Jessica is the oldest of three siblings. Her two sisters and her brothers are also studying online in the same Milwaukee household. Her youngest siblings are seven and four. Jessica has taken on the role of babysitter and teacher to them, while completing her own classwork.
“It’s like how can I be a student and a teacher at the same time?” Jessica says. “But, I think about how that’s my future career to become a teacher, so it’s helping me learn different methods.”
Jessica’s parents are both considered essential employees during the Coronavirus outbreak. They both still work full-time. Jessica makes meals and does all the household chores while her parents work.
“I don’t look at it as parenting,” she says. “I just look at it as the older daughter stepping in and helping because that’s how life goes sometimes.”
She says she typically does not have time to start her own school work until 8, or 9 at night.
“I’ll go until three, or four in the morning and wake up around 9:30, or 10 to make breakfast for my siblings.”
Jessica’s parents are immigrants from Mexico and speak primarily Spanish. Jessica is often their translator, especially when it comes to the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We try to make sure we all always have dinner together,” she says. “We’ll talk about what they heard and what I heard.”
"I don’t know if it’s because of the virus, but we definitely are spending a lot more time together,” Jessica says.
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