Personal obstacles and institutional limitations help first-generation students succeed.

Jordan Frost, activities director at Issaquah High School and first-generation WSU alumnus, said he succeeded because of his failures. 

The first setback Frost experienced occurred when his parents divorced when he was three years old. His father went to prison, and his mother was alone raising three children with a pile of debt. He lived in poverty until the age of 22.

In one of Frost’s classes, his teacher read off a list of statistics. These included the likelihood of impoverished children staying in poverty, dropping out of schools when their parents are incarcerated, and the unlikelihood of Black males living past the age of 18, he said.

Frost said he thought about those statistics every day, but he knew he could amount to much more.

“Your circumstances do not determine your destiny,” he said.

People cannot control what happens to them, but they can control what to do next, Frost said. Acknowledging hardships is the first step to success and the next is making time to heal.

First-generation students need to look for a “champion,” which is someone who supports the students they mentor. Building relationships and connections throughout interactions are important for keeping a door open for future experiences, he said. 

“Only you can determine your value. No labels, test scores or grades can determine your worth,” he said. “You have to believe in yourself and be persistent against odds.”

Frost’s first significant role as a leader was his appointment as a freshman delegate for ASWSU. However, ASWSU’s culture was terrible, he said, and it made him feel like an outsider. Frost said he was later appointed as Chief of Staff, a position that he hated as well and ended up leaving.

Frost was elected as ASWSU president for the 2018-19 school year.

Do not be afraid to be selfish and take care of personal needs before prioritizing others’ needs, Frost said.

“[First-generation students] are told ‘You don’t quit. You persevere, you go through it, you suffer, you struggle, that’s part of life,’” he said. “It is in some aspects, but there are times when you know something’s not right.”

It is critical to lean into failures and seek lessons from them even in the darkest, lowest moments, he said. First-generation students need to cherish their struggles because it is a reminder of what they are capable of accomplishing, he said.

“My story is what led me to be in education because education gave me an opportunity at a better life,” Frost said. “I wanted to give the same to others.”