Achieving a dream born in Gambia
Three years before Esatou Cole was born in the Bronx, New York, her parents packed their lives in suitcases and moved halfway across the world in search of a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Decades later, their hopes would be met within their children, who, one after the other, earned the college degrees that were impossible in Gambia.
Cole’s sister was the first to don her cap and gown, graduating in 2021. Her brother got his chance to move his tassel in 2022.
This year was Cole’s turn. On May 22, she graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from The University of Baltimore.
“Being here at the University of Baltimore has been a blessing in my life, and I’m so grateful that we were able to get a chance to better our lives the way we always wanted,” she said. “I’m so grateful for my parents.”
No part of Cole’s journey was easy, like her parents before her, but their dream inspired her own.
She pushed herself to find allies and mentors that could alleviate the pains of being a first-generation college student, from struggling to understand where to look for help to identifying classes that aligned with her career goals.
Cole’s ultimate choice to major in psychology roots from her parents’ and her own experiences. She wants to use her degree to build a career around supporting others who are struggling with anxiety and overcoming cultural barriers.
Through her life, Cole has had to find ways to accept who she is and flourish within that.
“You have to admit to yourself that sometimes you’re going to fail, and you have to be OK with it,” she said. “I don’t like failing. I don’t. I’ve learned to look at failure from different perspectives, and not always find the negative thing.”
Cole started taking classes at the Community College of Baltimore County and loved her time there. She transferred to another four-year institution and didn’t fit in as she expected. She withdrew and spent a year traveling.
When she returned home, she was weighing her options when a friend introduced her to UBalt.
Her description of it as “a nontraditional school that loved inclusion” piqued Cole’s interest.
She found the University was just what she wanted and needed. She enrolled in fall 2019.
“I love that the fact that it’s very supportive, especially for women students like me,” Cole said. “It works for people who are working, people who have kids, people who have gotten married, whatever.”
While her family was her inspiration to get to college, the friends Cole made fueled her perseverance through it. At UBalt, she joined the Women of Color Student Association, the International Student Association, and Psi Chi, the international honor society for psychology.
“I’ve met a wide range of people here, wonderful people, wonderful professors, as well,” Cole said. “I was still struggling as a first-generation student; however, with the support that I got, it was easier to navigate.”
As she nears her commencement day, Cole is keeping her family in mind, especially her father who passed away, but she knows he would be proud of her and her siblings.
“My parents were a big inspiration,” Cole said. “They did not want to see us struggle the way they did. It wasn’t easy for them, but they were my inspiration and I looked at them as the reason why I kept going. And I thank God I made it this far. I’m truly proud of myself. There is a way for you. There is always a way for you to succeed in anything that you want.”
Going First is an ongoing series highlighting the students, alumni, faculty and staff part of the UBalt community who were the first in their families to earn a bachelor's degree. Read more first-generation stories.