Jan Reimer ‘97 ‘00

Jan Reimer ‘97 ‘00

My name is Jan Reimer and I am a first generation college student.  I was born and raised in Jersey City, NJ and I am the only member of my family to still live here.  I was raised by hard-working parents who placed a strong emphasis on the importance of education.  They taught their four children that no matter what you do in life you always need to put in your best effort.  In their eyes you didn’t need to be the best, you just needed to do your best.  Working to do our best in high school resulted in all four of us receiving scholarships to attend college.  

I received a full scholarship to attend Saint Peter’s University.  Coming from a large public school system, college was the first time that I was in a small setting and Saint Peter’s provided me with resources and support to grow and develop in ways I hadn’t imagined.  A painfully shy kid suddenly was taking on student leadership roles, gaining career skills, and connecting with faculty and peers in meaningful ways.  

I attended Jersey City Public Schools at a time when the schools were doing so poorly that the state took control of the system.  In a national news report my school system was nicknamed “Flunk City.”  What I’ve learned from being a first generation student, and working for many years with first generation students, is that we need to make sure that our backgrounds do not define who we are or what we can accomplish.  We should be proud of who we are and where we come from, but make sure that we don’t limit ourselves from opportunities that we feel are “above us.”  I have worked in Student Life at Saint Peter’s University for more than 20 years.  What I love about working with first generation students is helping them to imagine the possibilities before them, connecting them with opportunities they never even imagined, and giving them that extra little push or bit of confidence that they need to know that they can do it.