ABINGTON, Pa. — Pumpkin spice lattes and winter break ski trips are not the norm for Penn State Abington students. Almost 40 percent of Abington's students come from low-income families. They work several jobs, many spend long hours riding public transportation to and from campus, and half of them are the first in their families to attend college.
But statistics don't reveal the daily grind that many Abington students endure in pursuit of a college degree. Breshay Lewis, a fifth-year senior, agreed to share her story.
“As an African-American woman and the first in my family to attend a university, it wasn't easy to get the proper support that I needed. I had parents who paid my tuition, but I couldn't rely on them to help me emotionally or mentally prepare for my college journey,” she said.
Lewis, a Philadelphia resident, enrolled at Penn State Altoona before transferring to University Park as a junior.
“This is when my life changed,” said Lewis. “I only had my father supporting me financially, so I had to pick up a job where I worked overnight four nights a week and went directly to class in the morning. My grades plunged, and my pay still wasn't enough. ... I returned to my childhood home and still didn't have much support.”
Lewis then enrolled at Abington, about five miles from home. She connected with Tina Vance-Knight, director of the Center for Career and Professional Development, and completed a work-study in the center. Vance-Knight quickly became Lewis' mentor.
"Ms.Tina always encouraged me and helped me identify my strengths, and I became a better student," Lewis said. "Abington is where I found support and began to flourish professionally and academically. I worked three jobs last semester, and I earned A's and B's."