Now that I’m halfway through my college experience, I’ve learned a lot about what would have helped me feel less alone as a first-generation college student, and it goes beyond one diversity program. Specifically, here are four ways that college staff and administrators could help all first generation students feel more supported and be more likely to succeed.

This time of year, 12 years ago, Hurricanes Rita and Katrina wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast. Houston became the refuge of choice for 60,000 people, over half of whom were school-aged youth. The city opened its arms, homes, schools, and churches, while more kept coming and many never left. Three hundred thousand people eventually chose to call this hospitable city their home. These same souls are now going through it all again.

The removal of DACA announced on Tuesday threatens the futures of nearly 800,000 undocumented children and youth living in the United States.

“Earlier this year, I was very fortunate to be a part of the Super Bowl winning team. It is such an unbelievable honor to be a member of the New England Patriots…[But] If football is all I am remembered for in life, I will have failed my mission: to help other people experience the power and magic of reading.”

Before coming to Princeton University as a first-generation, low-income student, I had built my entire résumé around my personal expertise in dealing with race. I had organized protests and given speeches to hundreds on the importance of abandoning a color- and culture-blind educational system. I even received an acknowledgement from Princeton for these efforts.

What does it take to guarantee that the next generation of future leaders are prepared, inspired, and primed for success? While there is no particular pathway to success, the key is to begin building the talent pipeline early—when students are still in high school.

The tragic events that took place in Charlottesville over the weekend remind us of the need to stay focused on creating a better, safer world for all young people, and strengthen our resolve to work together toward that goal.

Adults aren’t the only ones struggling with mental illnesses, and as the research below shows, young people may even have more to lose. But allowing students to use “sick days” (or excused absences) for their mental health could go a long way in creating a culture of health in the classroom that can help them stay on track to graduating.

I am afraid I am not ready for college. I just graduated high school, and a statistic I recently found worries me: 70 percent of Americans will study at a four-year college this year, but less than two-thirds will graduate.

Kids of all ages need adults in their lives who care about them. It’s a fundamental, common-sense sort of truth. And yet, the importance of these relationships is often overlooked and misunderstood.

Whether it’s learning English or challenging the negative stereotypes of being an immigrant, one young man demonstrates the importance of persistence, courage, and hope in hard times in this moving personal narrative.

“What is an irrational fear you have?” This was a question I asked Manuel,* a tenth-grade student I mentored during my year of service as a City Year Los Angeles AmeriCorps member. It was part of a game I introduced to get him engaged in our time together.