2025 Scholarship Reception Keynote Address

Summit College Club was delighted to welcome Audrey Fisch, Ph.D. and founder of More Than Bootstraps (MTB), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting first generation and low income (FGLI) students in accessing and succeeding in higher education, through community, peer mentoring, networking, financial support, family involvement, and wellness and self-care. The following is a lightly edited transcript of her inspiring keynote address at the Summit College Club 2025 Scholarship Reception on June 8, 2025.

Thank you for having me today to share in this wonderful celebration of amazing young women! Like Marylou, Ellie, Lynne and the other members of this AAUW chapter, I know the power of education, particularly for women.

I was lucky to receive an American Fellowship from AAUW when I was finishing my doctorate

at Rutgers. It enabled me to complete my graduate work and launched me into a wonderful

career teaching English at New Jersey City University.

I have been teaching young people like you for the last thirty years at NJCU. Like you, my

students are talented young people, who embody their families’ hopes and dreams and who

balance their ambitions with significant financial and familial responsibilities.

Over the course of my career, however, I have watched the struggles my students face increase. Did you know that only 11% of FGLI students who enroll in college earn a degree after six years (see Moving Beyond Access)?

Why?

To begin with, the cost of higher education puts many students in an untenable situation.

Financial aid is often insufficient and has not kept pace with the cost of attendance.

Once upon a time, young people could put themselves through school by working. When I began graduate school at Rutgers, the tuition was $1,500. That’s not the case today, for a variety of complicated reasons. Even with financial aid, students have to work more and more hours to pay for school. That’s why scholarships from organizations like AAUW are so very important and why I was thrilled to learn that this chapter has begun offering scholarships to women returning to school at Union County College!

There is nothing wrong with combining work and school. Research indicates that students who work around 10 hours a week are more successful than those who do not work at all. But many students find themselves having to work more than 10 hours a week, and in jobs (unlike work-study jobs on campus) that keep them from immersing themselves in their new college communities.

Work and time away from immersing yourself in your new college community are problems

because success in college is VERY different from success in high school. College has what we call a “hidden curriculum,” and you need to devote TIME to learning about this hidden

curriculum. Being smart and working hard are often not enough. In fact, sometimes these

qualities actually get in the way.

My frustration with the challenges facing students, particularly first-generation college students whose families don’t have experience with higher education, is what led me to found More Than Bootstraps. So, let me give you and your families a few ideas about what it takes to succeed in higher education, ideas that underline our work in MTB.

1. Martin Luther King said that it is “a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift

himself by his own bootstraps.” There are people who know how the system of higher ed

works. Their "boots" are their parents who have been through the system. If no one in your

family has been through American higher ed, you don’t have the boots. It’s really hard to

know what you don’t know, and really hard to figure things out on your own. It helps to

recognize that there are people out there with boots – and many of them can help you.

2. Don’t try to pull yourself up by your bootstraps ALONE. Research indicates that having

two friends in college is more highly correlated to success than income or SAT scores.

It’s surprising, but it connects to what MLK said. Doing a hard thing on your own – lifting yourself up by your bootstraps - is the American ideal, but it doesn’t really work so well. Doing a hard thing with friends is much more effective. So put your effort into finding those two friends who can support and inspire you. Talk to people in your classes, join clubs and interact with people outside of class, and find YOUR people!

3. Get comfortable with the idea that asking questions and asking for help are signs of

strength, not weakness. Go to office hours during the first week of school and introduce

yourself to your professors. Ask them about themselves and ask them what advice they

have for you about succeeding in their class or college generally. Speak to your advisor

(and not just when it’s time to register for classes). Speak to the administrative assistants,

the people in financial aid, and the custodians. These are the people who really know how

the school works. Make the time, outside of class, to cultivate relationships with people

on campus who have the boots!

4. Last bit of advice: Talk to your family and keep them in the loop. Help them understand

your challenges as well as your triumphs. Just like you are finding your boots, help them

understand your journey: why going to the writing center is what good students do, why

you need to make time to meet with your study group, or why changing your major is

normal in college. The more informed you keep them, the better they will be able to

support you, and the less stressed everyone will be.

College is not like high school. Everyone struggles. Everyone has bumps in the road, classes that are challenging, professors who are hard to understand or please, confusion about majors or careers, and/or struggles with roommates.

Find your people -- who can support you when you feel like you aren’t good enough or you don’t belong. Join clubs, go to events, and talk to everyone you can. Exchange contact information with the person sitting next to you on the first day in your classes.

And find a way to help others on their journeys. That’s the magic of MTB. Our college students are leading their younger, high school peers. Mentoring others helps the mentor as well as the mentee. Even as you navigate the wacky world of higher ed, remember that you are a role model and a leader. You are an AAUW award winner. You are part of a powerful community of leadership and inspiration. Use your new AAUW community, and, as much as you can, give back to it as well!

Congratulations!