Ivanna Milian’s family nurtured her path as a first-generation college student from her first days in elementary school. As they drove to school each morning, her father peppered her with positive affirmations.
“I didn’t really like them, but I think the encouragement as I was growing up really helped me get more confidence,” she said, noting her father’s favorite affirmation was from President Harry S. Truman: “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”
Those supportive vibes eventually led her to the University of Florida, where she studies mechanical engineering and celebrates the family that set the path.
Milian’s Colombian mother, Maria Teresa, and Cuban father, Rey, have three daughters. Neither parent attended college.
And make no mistake, this family is proud.
“Having our daughter in the first-generation scholarship program has truly been a blessing for our family,” said Rey Milian. “Ivanna has become an incredible role model for her younger sisters by being the first in our family to attend the University of Florida.”
Ivanna, the oldest at 22, was born in Hialeah, Florida, and grew up in Pembroke Pines. To attend UF, she earned a Bright Futures Scholarship, a Pell grant and UF’s Machen Florida Opportunity Scholarship (MFOS), which assists low-income first-generation college students.
In high school, Milian thought she would be a doctor — until AP biology changed her mind and calculus changed her life. Now she is set to graduate in December from UF’s prestigious Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.
Early challenges
She chose aerospace engineering until her first class at UF made her realize that becoming an astronaut wasn’t where her heart was. Her love of math and physics soon led her to mechanical engineering.
As those first semesters evolved, she said, becoming the first college student in her family came with internal pressure. But she kept thinking: “The only option is to succeed, and it’s going to happen.”
“I never felt pressure from my parents,” she recalled. “They trusted that I could make those [academic] decisions for myself.”
She lived in East Hall, which houses the Engineering Living Learning Community (LLC), an academic student community that includes other female engineers. That environment nurtured friendships and encouraged her to engage with more students and groups.
Finding community
Milian cites connecting with Engineering Peer Advisors as another pivotal moment. She reached out to seek support but wound up volunteering.
“Being a peer advisor with other great peer advisors makes me want to be a better student,” she said. “I’ve been a part of a lot of organizations that just lift people up and make you feel more confident about yourself.”
As a mentor, she ensures students are heard, supported and assisted, said Michael Todd, Engineering Peer Advisors coordinator.
“She is one of the best examples of a student leader I have had the good fortune to meet at UF,” Todd said.
Milian said Machen scholars also paired her with a mentor as a freshman.
“I needed help finding where I am, finding resources, and she helped me through a lot of personal issues I was having,” Milian said. “Becoming a mentor taught me how to be that support for other people. I was also able to apply that support to engineering peer advisors.”
The importance of being the first
Because there were no college graduates in her family, she had to figure out many things on her own. She and a younger sister — now attending Florida State University — are laying a foundation for existing and future family members.
“Having that starting point is really important,” she said.
And while she had to chart her own college career, her family support system remained essential.
“When changing my major from aerospace to mechanical,” she recalled, “it felt like the end of the world. My mom was able to ground me and connect me to people who were mechanical engineers.”
Mom and dad knew their first-gen Gator had it under control.
“Throughout the past four years,” her father said, “Ivanna has demonstrated exceptional character, strong leadership and a genuine passion for serving others. Words cannot fully express how proud we are of all that she has accomplished.”
The takeaways
With graduation in sight, Milian has advice for incoming first-gen students:
- Your path isn’t linear or all black and white. It’s your opportunity to try different things, be they a different major or the ukelele club.
- Put yourself out there. “You’ll never regret going to those meetings or events. But you will regret not going to them,” she advised.
- Live on campus for your first year. “It really forces you to get out there. The dorm rooms are so small, you don’t really want to be in the room all day, every day. So, it forces you to get out and explore campus and do different types of activities.”