All in a Day’s Work: Being Transparent With Struggles

First-generation students make up a significant number of today’s postsecondary learners, but many can struggle with impostor syndrome as they adapt to higher education.

To encourage help-seeking behaviors and encourage students not to be afraid of failure, Anthony Desiderio, director of the Robert J. McGuire Scholarship program at St. Francis College in New York, talks about his time as a first-generation undergraduate student and how he went from academic probation to peer mentor and staff member at St. Francis.

“I share my story … that failure is just as important as success, and sometimes failure has to happen before success can come your way,” Desiderio says.

By sharing his story, Desiderio has built stronger relationships with students and has been able to connect with and support them on a deeper level.

The story: As a student, Desiderio was dismissed from his institution because his academics had slipped to a 1.2 GPA.

“At the time, I felt it was a major weakness to reach out for help and made it my own personal obligation to be prideful and figure things out on my own,” he says. “This led to a lot of my failures and reaching an all-time low in confidence.”

Desiderio appealed his academic dismal and earned back his spot at college, but he lost his scholarships, requiring him to take out loans for tuition. Despite the setbacks, “it ended up being the best opportunity of my entire life,” Desiderio says.

This second chance at college pushed Desiderio to take more chances, ask for help and create meaningful connections. He raised his GPA to a 3.8 and was admitted to a combined bachelor’s/master’s program, where he earned his degrees in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

“It was thanks to my probation adviser, who helped me achieve my dreams and see the potential in myself,” Desiderio says. “I ended up interning under her and our advisement office [while in undergrad], which is now called the Center for Student Success.”

The impact: During this internship, Desiderio worked alongside other students on academic probation through one-on-one coaching and workshops. This is also when he realized he wanted to pursue a career in higher education.

For his first job postgrad, Desiderio started as an academic adviser, working with first-year students and teaching first-year seminar courses. In 2015, Desiderio was asked to be the inaugural director of the Robert J. McGuire Scholarship program, which has grown from 15 students to over 70 graduates and 150 students supported.

In his role, Desiderio is responsible for supporting students’ mentorship programs and advisory boards, hosting workshops and events, meeting with students twice each term, and working with donors.

“In every workshop and first-year seminar course I have taught, I would always tell my students about my story. and they would never believe that was the student I was. And at the end of the semester, I show them the dismissal letter that I still have, as it’s a reminder of how far I have come since,” Desiderio says.

The takeaways: While vulnerability does not come easily to most, it is important to share moments of failure with students, he says. These narratives remind learners that everyone is human and makes mistakes sometimes.

Being open about his shortcomings has also helped Desiderio create trust with his students, because they are able to relate to him on a deeper level and recognize that he wants to support them and their own stories.

“Being transparent with any student allows them to feel that they belong and know that life does not always work the way we plan it, but to continue through and great things are bound to happen by sometimes failing first,” Desiderio says.

One of Desiderio’s favorite parts of his work is watching students overcome adversity and being able to support them. “I always tell my students that every student’s downfall and triumphs are part of mine, too, and they are not alone in this journey.”

Seeking stories from campus leaders, faculty members and staff for our Student Success focus. Share here.