Meet Jerry, a junior majoring in political science and minoring in public policy analysis at a university in Boston. A native New Yorker, Jerry is a first-generation, low-income, Asian American student and the only child of immigrant parents who recently became citizens. He hopes to attend law school after he graduates in 2026, but he’s concerned about the Trump administration’s attacks on higher education and the public sector, which could throw a wrench in his career plans. Jerry opened up about his interest in political science and the law, what led him to Boston, some of the challenges he’s faced and how he’s overcome them, and how the Trump administration’s policies are impacting students.

On what drew him to political science and law

I love political science. I love the study of government. I hope to become a public servant, although I’m worried about the current climate. I think public service is under attack right now. I feel that there’s intrinsic value in public service that people in the private sector don’t necessarily understand or they overlook. I believe in the value of public service, community service, helping your local community. And I feel like law school is something that I want to pursue partly for that reason.

I was attracted to the law at a young age. I am the only English speaker in my family, so I had to learn how to read government documents and act as an interpreter for my family at a young age, which is a job that normally kids don’t do. I loved helping in that way and realized that the law is hard to translate. That has inspired me to help my community and symbolically translate the legal system, which is extremely complex, for vulnerable communities back in New York City.

I was also able to get early legal experience in my sophomore year of high school. I interned at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and later at the Queens District Attorney’s Office, where I learned how much power and privilege prosecutors have. They have the discretion to dismiss cases and ensure that injustices don’t occur, and I saw how they can help communities through the law.

On why he chose to attend his college

I like Boston and I also like being in the Northeast because I don’t want to move too far from my family, so this university was one of my top choices. The second reason is financial. This university gave me a lot of financial aid to help reduce the cost of pursuing a four-year undergraduate degree. I also initially applied through the QuestBridge Scholarship, which matches students from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships. Most, if not all, of my tuition is being covered, including my dorm room. I pay a little out of pocket for things like occasional meals out, but all of my costs are covered by my need-based scholarship.

On the challenges he’s faced

I think imposter syndrome is one of the top issues facing first-gen students like myself. Related to that is a lack of personal connections that other students may take for granted. We don’t have the initial resources to make connections. For example, last summer, I applied for an internship in a congressional office. Then a friend and colleague of mine told me that to get internships in these congressional offices, you need to have connections — because many of these internships and programs are filled on the basis of nepotism rather than actual merit.

So, I will say that it has been extremely hard for a first-gen student like me to be able to get connected with these kinds of internship opportunities. As a result, I’ve become very proactive about networking. I network with a lot of my peers and participate in various fellowship programs — which have helped me connect with other fellows and employers — and a legal program — which is helping me study for the LSAT and apply for law school next fall.

I was also able to match with a mentor, who is a clinical professor at my university’s school of law. He’s written recommendations for me, which has been a big help.

This semester, I’m working at a federal agency here in Boston. I was able to do that thanks, in part, to my mentor and because I was able to enhance my interview skills through the university’s career development center, which helped me with mock interviews. So, I sought out those resources, and that’s how I overcame these kinds of hurdles and disadvantages.

I’ve also tried to address those challenges through publications. So, for instance, I started a law blog and I’ve written different publications for the university pre-law review, which is a student-led law journal. During my freshman year, I wrote a piece about the constitutionality of legacy admissions at Harvard and Yale, which admit high numbers of legacies. I think something like 33% of admitted students to Harvard were, until recently, the children of alumni, which is extremely high, and most legacy students are well-off and White. I think legacy admissions is extremely unfair and biased against first-generation, low-income students like me, because, you know, our parents never went to college, and so we don’t have that advantage.

On the Trump administration’s attacks on higher education and the public sector

I definitely feel that there has been fallout on campus from Donald Trump’s actions against higher education — especially his attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), immigration, and university funding. People here are worried about funding constraints. Registration was last week, and I heard other students, including friends who are studying things like gender studies, for instance, say that they didn’t have as many classes to choose from next semester because of funding constraints.

I think our nation is supposed to empower students of future generations to go to college and study whatever they want, whatever they’re passionate about — whether that’s gender studies or political science. The fact that a lot of that choice is dependent on federal funding that’s now being taken away definitely constrains that type of choice, that type of passion to even go to college. I worry that we might see a decrease in enrollment or in people applying to colleges, even though I still believe that the education system in the U.S. helps people move up the ladder and builds social mobility.

I also see that many international students on U.S. campuses are being targeted. There’s a lot of news about their visas being revoked for making their voices heard or expressing their First Amendment rights to protest. So, that’s definitely an attack on higher education, academic freedom, and freedom of expression, and I think we’re seeing a chilling effect.

On a more personal level, I had an internship offer at a federal agency  withdrawn, and I know others who’ve also had their internships revoked and are worried that their student loans won’t be forgiven because of new limits on Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

On what universities can do to help first-generation students

I think institutions should put more funding toward resources and programs for first-gen students, as well as affinity groups that support first-gen students and empower us to achieve greater things and apply for internships and such. My university offers a class to help first-gen students like me successfully transition to college and acquire skills that will make us successful, including how to write a resume. I took this unique seminar and really loved it and I met and connected with a lot of other first-gen students through that class.

But it’s not just funding. I also think institutions need to add more role models or professors and administrators who can mentor and guide first-gen students. Institutions also have to embrace the diversity and inclusion of their students. At my university, 21% of enrolled students are first-gen students. So, I think that’s something that other institutions should emulate. Institutions should celebrate the fact that that they’re admitting diverse and first-generation students, that they have a community of first-generation students, and that they’re creating a kind of social ladder for these students.

Series: Getting To & Through College