On National First-Generation College Celebration Day, we spotlight the 8.2 million first-generation undergraduate students in our colleges and universities. Making up more than half (54%) of all undergraduates, each first-generation student has unique experiences, strengths, and perspectives that enrich our communities.
New Orleans native Ronulia Darensburg has served her community as a licensed practical nurse for almost two decades. Now a student at Delgado Community College, she is continuing her studies to fulfill a promise she made to her aunt.
Accepted to a four-year university after graduating high school in 1995, Darensburg faced life circumstances that made her unable to complete her studies. A decade later, she enrolled in a vocational training program, only to be displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
“While Katrina delayed my education, it did not stop me from achieving my goal,” she says. With the help of federal financial aid, she became an LPN in 2007, and she immediately set her sights higher,
“I’ve always wanted to become a Registered Nurse,” she says. “However, financial hardships, family responsibilities, and raising two children made it difficult to continue my education.”
In 2021, she was called to the bedside of her aunt, who was battling terminal cancer. “She asked me to promise her that I would enroll at Delgado and give myself the opportunity to try to become an RN," she says. “I promised her I would.”
Darensburg began by taking one prerequisite course at a time for several years. “I stayed committed,” she says. “Today, I’m here pursuing that goal, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come.”
‘Why Pell Grants Matter’
We celebrate National First-Generation College Celebration Day in November to commemorate the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965—and the creation of federal financial aid programs to fund students’ educations. For Darensburg, the federal Pell Grant Program has provided an “opportunity to pursue my education and create a different future for myself,” she says.
“For me, the Pell Grant means opportunity. It gave me a chance to pursue my education and create a different future for myself,” she says. “Honestly, without the Pell Grant, I would not be in school right now because I simply couldn’t afford it.”
Darensburg will graduate debt-free because of Pell Grants, but the program faces projected funding shortfalls. The House Appropriations bill for education in FY27 provided a welcome $50 increase for the maximum Pell Grant program and funding to address the shortfall. Unfortunately, the bill would pay for this by making many other cuts to higher education. So Darensburg became the only Louisiana student to travel to Washington, D.C., to speak about the Pell Grant and other federal programs during a September congressional staff briefing.
“I would like lawmakers to know that students like me matter,” Darensburg says. “When considering cuts to federal financial aid programs, including Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and Federal Work-Study, I hope they think about stories like mine and the stories of students across the country. These programs make education possible for people who otherwise might never have the opportunity to attend college. Because of this support, we're able to earn our education, enter the workforce, and become productive members of our communities.”
“That's why Pell Grants matter.”
Hear Ronulia Darensburg’s story in her own words here.
Mark Toner is an author and ACCT contributor.
