First Generation Stories — Meet Karen Escobar

By Asha-Lee Peterkin

When we think about student parents, it’s easy to focus on the duality of the student parent experience — the challenges they face and the strength it takes to raise children while pursuing a degree. And while that duality is powerful, it isn’t the whole story.

At Generation Hope, we have the privilege of knowing student parents beyond the stereotypes. We’ve walked alongside Scholars like Karen — now a proud alum and active member of our Grad Connect program — and witnessed firsthand the full richness of their journeys. We walk alongside people who are the first in their families to attend college, the first to navigate higher education in a new country, or the first to carry the weight of generational expectations while building something entirely their own.

This new blog series is about creating space to honor those layered, specific stories. Stories of people we serve not only as student parents, but as legacy builders and culture shapers.

You’ll first meet Karen Escobar, a mother of three, a first-generation American, and a college student whose story reminds us that strength doesn’t always show up in bold declarations. Sometimes it looks like quiet perseverance, deep love, and the choice to keep going, even when the path isn’t clear.

“Family means everything,” she says. “It’s my history. My future. Definitely my present.”

That foundation began with her parents, immigrants to the U.S. who built their lives on unity, strength, and sacrifice. “Together, we’re stronger,” her father, Carlos, says. For Karen, those values shaped both how she was raised and how she’s raising her own children.

She often speaks of gratitude. Her parents worked long hours, sometimes leaving before she woke up or returning after she’d already gone to bed. “We didn’t always have time together,” Karen says, “but I understood that everything they were doing was for us.”

That perspective shaped her own approach. In high school and during her first year of college, Karen worked overnight shifts while raising her daughter and attending classes in the morning. It stretched her physically, emotionally, and financially, but she stayed focused on the long term. “I learned early not to expect instant gratification,” she says. “Sometimes you have to give up a little now for a better future later.”

That mindset hasn’t changed, even as her life has grown. Now, with three children and more responsibilities, Karen is still building — with more clarity, more compassion for herself, and a deeper understanding of what’s possible.

Her daughter, now nine, is beginning to notice. She asks how her mom does it all. She offers encouragement. “You’re amazing,” she tells her. “I’m proud of you.”

Karen is honest about how much that matters. “Sometimes I don’t feel amazing,” she admits. “But hearing that from her helps me keep going.”

This isn’t a story about having it all figured out. It’s about the ongoing work of becoming — honoring where you’ve been while holding space for what’s next. As Karen thinks about the future, she’s also learning to acknowledge how far she’s already come.

“There’s still more I want to reach,” she says. “But I’m trying to be proud of what’s already behind me. That’s not always easy.”

What stands out about Karen is her intentionality, especially in what she hopes to pass on to her children. She wants them to move through life with self-trust, to appreciate where they are, and to know their worth without needing outside validation.

Karen’s story doesn’t begin with college, it begins with her roots. With the quiet strength of her parents, who left everything familiar behind to build a new life in the U.S.  As a first-generation American and proud Latina, Karen carries that legacy with her. It shows up in her values, in the way she raises her children, and in how she shows up to her education, not just for herself but for the generations before and after her. Her story is shaped by culture, by community, and by an unwavering sense of responsibility to those who came before her and those looking up to her now.