Every fall, more than 1,500 freshmen start at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. About one in two of them are the first in their family to attend college. It’s a big milestone for a group that faces challenges not only in applying to school — but in adjusting and making it to graduation.
WBEZ’s Lisa Kurian Philip spoke with one of those freshmen, Jayla Ward, as she was preparing to transition to college life this fall. She shared her personal story, which has been edited for clarity and brevity.
I’m an upcoming freshman at Northern Illinois University. I’m going to be majoring in marketing.
My mom doesn’t want the baby bird to go out of the nest, so she’s low-key really sad about it. I’m her only child. It’s just been me and her all my life. So she just doesn’t know how not to mom.
I’m going to leave a bunch of sticky notes around the house with random messages. So that way for the first couple of days, maybe weeks depending on how good I hide a couple of the sticky notes, she’s going to open various things and then see little notes left by me. She’s going to open the air fryer, and the note’s going to say, ‘I wish I was having some of this.’
I graduated from Ridgewood High School [in Norridge], but for the majority of my high school career I went to Proviso East [in Maywood]. We had to move last-minute [before my senior year] … and I couldn’t keep going to Proviso East because it’d be like an hour drive.
I was definitely more involved at Proviso as far as clubs and stuff. That’s how I got the opportunity to be a part of Green Halo Scholars [an organization that helps low-income students in Chicago’s western suburbs to and through college].
I am [the first in my family to go to college] so that’s pretty nerve wracking because I don’t know what to expect. They can’t give me some words of wisdom because they haven’t gone.
I was applying to a whole bunch of out-of-state schools. I wanted to leave. I’m telling you: I just wanted to explore.
In my head, I’m like, ‘I’m gonna get a full ride. I got all these clubs, all this community service, I got good grades. These schools are gonna want me, right? They’re gonna be fighting for me.’
I got accepted. It’s just when I saw how much they were charging … I was just like, ‘Oh, guess I’m staying at home.’
When it came down to choosing a college, I was very spontaneous in everything that I was doing. Originally I committed to DePaul University. I was just like, ‘I’m going to have better job opportunities if I go to DePaul.’ DePaul gave me enough [financial aid] to be a commuter student.
And I freaked out last minute, because I was like, ‘Oh my God, if I lose my scholarship, I would have to pay $62,000 a year. That’s like generational debt.’
I was seeing people buy their dorm stuff and thinking, ‘That should be me.’ And I was just like, ‘If I’m this upset about it, and if it’s taking this much of a toll on me, I just need to switch to Northern Illinois University.’ It’s the cheapest, and I get to live on campus, and they got a good business school: works for me.
I feel like I owe [Green Halo Director Sara Yelich Miller] so much because without her and her support, I wouldn’t know what I was doing. I was going rogue regardless. But her guidance and her support — it’s what I needed.
Earlier this summer, Jayla moved in with her uncle’s family in Lee, Illinois, a town near DeKalb and NIU’s campus.
I just want you to imagine cornfields down the street. I have a neighbor with cows, and I am currently looking at windmills.
I wanted to find a job before all these people come to college and steal the jobs. One thing about me: I don’t like being broke. I’ve had a part-time job since the second I turned 16.
Jayla found a job at Goodwill and has already started working 25 to 30 hours a week. Once school starts, she’ll be balancing her new job with classes and studying — and an unpaid marketing internship with NIU’s athletic department.
Truthfully, I really wish I could just quit my job and focus on this internship. But I have to support myself.
I have all these big dreams and these big aspirations, but I just don’t think I’m gonna have the time for it all … . I’m just gonna try to do the most that I can.
I’m so ready. I’m ready to talk to people. I’m moving in a day before my roommate, so when I get my stuff settled, I’m going to leave my door open for anybody who feels like walking in and saying hi.
Lisa Kurian Philip covers higher education for WBEZ, in partnership with Open Campus. Follow her on Twitter @LAPhilip.