We recently connected with IRNANDE ALTEMA and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, IRNANDE thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I am a first-generation college graduate and daughter of immigrants. My parents made several sacrifices for their family. They became naturalized U.S. citizens to ensure their children had access to solid academic institutions and professional opportunities. My Mom and Dad graduated from their origin country with degrees. Still, they re-enrolled into institutions of higher education in America to obtain certificate degrees that would grant them positions in the healthcare field and IT communications industry. They were tremendously committed to improving my odds by working multiple jobs and attending a postsecondary institution in the US simultaneously.

I graduated undergrad with minimal student debt (which is comparatively different from graduating law school) because of institutional financial aid and my parents taking on a few loans on my behalf. In my final year of college, I encountered roadblocks to being admitted into medical school while being conflicted about whether I wanted to pursue a budding interest in public policy. My mother recognized my evolving interest and found a biomedical policy masters program at a prestigious university that spoke to my new curiosities. I applied and was accepted into the program! My father researched my commuting route and other needs to attend full-time to ensure on-time completion. Both parents supported my pivot and taught me always to consider necessities as I chart new territory.
My Mom and Dad had no clue how to get me into public policy. Still, they understood that education would pave the way and I would need reliable transportation to attend classes and networking events.

I continued my studies to pursue a law degree out-of-state and was fully supported by my parents, who found ways to pay for my first year due to some financial aid errors. Fortunately, I completed law school in three years without other payment issues. Furthermore, my parents played an instrumental role as I studied for the Maryland Bar Exam by helping me to sell items in my apartment, moving me back home, and booking me a hotel room near the testing facility so I would not be concerned about parking and commuting. They allowed me to focus on studying the material, which led me to pass the Maryland bar exam on the first try in 2012. My parents are purely the reason there is little delay for me to become a first-generation professional.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Being the first in my family to complete college, obtain a professional degree, and embark on a professional role consistently puts me in unchartered waters because there is no roadmap other than the one I am creating for myself and others who plan to come behind me. I redefined academic and career success for my family and have transitioned to enlighten and educate others with a similar childhood rearing or upbringing to achieve results.

Setting my sights on working in the political world, I sought senior-level opportunities in a legislator’s office, and thankfully, I was selected to become Chief of Staff for a Senator. My work product and temperament led people to want to know more about my journey. In 2015, it soon became clear that the requests for informational meetings or calls would not be manageable as Chief of Staff of a legislative office with multiple responsibilities, so I created a blog called FirstGenRISE. The vital moment I decided to establish a blog was when I realized that I was the sole black person working in a senior elected official’s office and surpassing many steps to be in an influential role.

As Chief of Staff, many interns or junior legislative staffers asked me how I climbed to this height and would seek advice on how they should pursue similar opportunities; thus, in the moments I could not meet with them, I referred them to the blog. The blog received much traction, which led me to write a book. I provided stories of vulnerability, trials, triumphs, and success tips. Writing the book was therapeutic because of the internal conflicts of placing ample pressure to rise despite several limitations given that I was the FIRST in my family to pursue this career. On the blog, in the book, and during speaking opportunities, I highlight the moments when my mind had to be strong to achieve my goals.

With each blog post and toolkit, I aim to inform readers about the many unspoken and unwritten rules to success. Throughout my journey, I have been mentored or sponsored by non-first-generation people who guide me on approaching new levels. There are no legacy stories in my family. However, several exist in other families, and I modify the information acquired to apply to me and others similarly situated. The result of my work has been to witness several colleagues who have risen to new roles and students who feel more empowered and in control of their college experience.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I was raised to be a private person. Immigrant parents teach their children to stand out as excellent students but do not reveal anything about themselves. It is acceptable to be bold and visible around academic gains.

Actual wins are not only in keeping your head down and doing the work. To be successful, one must go out and join a network and share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences (however unique and unfamiliar they may be to others). For a very long time, I believed the advice that so long as I complete assignments well, I will be noticed and elevated. Indeed, there is a time and place for that, but non-first gens know that you must get to know your peers to demonstrate relatability and trust in a more extrovert manner.

My parents were seen as very qualified employees and received many recognitions at their place of employment. However, I sought a different trajectory on top of what they achieved, so I became less private about my future goals, and it has worked out more than I imagined. For example, in law school my future career plans included representing a single institution of higher education. When I left the Senator’s office to represent member associations, I shared my interest with colleagues to work in higher education and several recommended me for an executive position to represent thirteen (13) independent colleges and universities in the state of Maryland.

Eight years post-law school, I currently hold the title of Associate Vice President for Government and Business Affairs on behalf of Maryland’s independent higher education institutions, and it was achieved because I shared my long-term goals with peers and was not private about my vision.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My mission is to change the narrative of first-generation individuals and their lived experiences. I intend to ensure any redefined narrative represents the ambition embodied in a first-generation student or professional. As such, my credibility is rooted in delivering content that reflects the feedback from members of the first-generation community. The blog posts were birthed out of my encounters and were examples of experiences from the tribe.

Readers have enjoyed the stories from other first gens and appreciated the clear and concise messaging of how to rise. My first book, “The Rise of a First Gen,” was peer-reviewed by two academics at institutions of higher education. They provided feedback on improving the content and pulling out more guiding information. I received speaking opportunities at prestigious universities and contributed as a panelist at many higher education-related events. There is an audience that seeks to know how to live beyond their ancestors’ wildest dreams, and my sincerity in helping others through this process helps me as I build the brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.firstgenrise.com
• Instagram: @firstgenrise
• Facebook: Firstgenrise
• Twitter: @firstgenrise
• Youtube: FirstGenRISE