The four members in this group are Rosie Erwin, Jaimie Dunham, Damian Reyes, and Jessica Smiley. We were responsible for interviewing and analyzing the information we received from the sophomore group of our interviews. We came up with a total of eight different categories that we felt were the most common and most important throughout the information we analyzed. These categories are: High School to College, Family/Home/Community support, Financial Support, Other Support, CSUMB Experience, Culture/Race/Gender/-ism Identity, Suggestions to the Administration, and Message to Incoming Students.

     Within each of these categories we took out the most important stories and information we could gather that related to each topic. We then took a look at our secondary readings from outside of class and tried to connect the interviewee's quotes and experiences to those of the secondary readings. By doing this, we were able to back up information we found from the readings to real life experiences here at CSUMB.

     It was really important for us to include the suggestions that these students had for the administration to know so the school can better meet the needs of first generation college students. From all the stories and suggestions, we found one big common theme that was seen throughout each interview. Support seemed to be needed amongst all of the interviewees. This support was common across the board in all categories. Students talked about support they needed from high school counselors, teachers, and administrators to support through financial aid, family, friends, and professors. Having that support made all of these students' transition from high to college run a lot smoother. If a student did not have any kind of support, we found their transition to be a lot harder.

     Through our findings we also discovered a change from the freshmen year experiences to the sophomore experiences. The sophomores spoke more about support that they have or have not received on campus as opposed to high school support. They knew what worked in terms of advising, tutoring, and classes. They knew what didn't seem to work as much in terms of retention, financial aide, and campus support. They were able to give more suggestions to the administration in terms of their experiences so far at CSUMB. They had different experiences to tell in terms of family, home, and community connections. After being in college for two years they are more cognizant of the differences between their school and home communities. At times their attitudes are expanding beyond what they have been taught by their families and cultures, and finding a way to again relate to their home community is a challenge that each interviewee addresses in a unique way.

   
     It was also important for us to include at the end of our findings, a positive and helpful message to any incoming first generation college student. College can be rough in the beginning and surely takes some getting used to, this we can all agree on. A lot of times it is easier to have a guide or words of wisdom before one jumps into an arena they are not familiar with. One of our interviewees had much wisdom and guidance to share and we hope that this, and the information we have gathered, will help us to help our school better meet the needs of first generation college students.