First-Generation College Spotlight: Genesis Polo
(November 14, 2025) - Genesis Polo is the executive assistant to the Dean of the Department of the College of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at Clayton State University. Genesis’ parents immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic. She was born in New York and grew up in the boroughs of Queens and the Bronx.
Genesis shared that her parents were the main drivers pushing her to attend college. “To be honest with you, coming from a Hispanic background, that's their number one main thing is you're going to go to school and you're going to go to college. So, I had no other choice but to go to college. Also seeing my older sister graduate from college inspired me. Knowing how happy that made my parents made me push through and earn my degree.”
During her time in college, Genesis didn’t find people who were offering to help her academically or answer her questions about how to succeed. She said “That's why I appreciate Clayton State University, because I see how our faculty are with students. We give a lot of help, a lot of information. If students need to find something, you always find somebody that can help.”
Through the ups and downs during college, she never gave up because Genesis was motivated by her parents. She described her parents as “determined hard workers. Just seeing how they were and not giving up and just trying to make a better living for us. And that's what also like part of the Hispanic culture is, is that they brought us to America to give my sister and I a better life so we could do better, better than they did.”
Genesis says her advice to first generation college students is “Keep pushing forward. There’s not one right way to do it. You can maybe take a break, work, come back to it as long as it gets done. That's all that matters.”
She added, “Being a first-generation college graduate taught me the power of persistence and the importance of support. I know what it feels like to navigate college without a roadmap, so I make it a priority to be that guide for others. My experience drives me to encourage students, celebrate their wins, and remind them that they belong—even when it’s hard. I support students with empathy, because I’ve lived the journey, they’re on.”
Learn more about being a First-Gen College Student at Clayton State University on our website: https://www.clayton.edu/about/administration/student-affairs/first-generation