If anyone knows the struggle of being a first-generation college student, it’s Heather Novak.

Novak, a Political Science professor and Associate Director of the Center for Community Action and Research at Pace University, faced a difficult time while she was pursuing her undergraduate degree at SUNY New Paltz. Because there was nobody at home with any college experience, Novak was forced to deal with her college transition alone.

“Not only did I not have some place to go for advice but I also didn’t really have some place to go for money either,” Novak said. “Not knowing what you don’t know [was] the biggest obstacle, I feel, for a first-year student. People just assume you know and then you just sort of play along and say, ‘Of course I knew that!”

During her freshman year at SUNY New Paltz, finding people to talk to about the college transition was a difficult experience. However, during her sophomore year, Novak received a phone-call from her father saying that he and her mother could not afford to pay for her college tuition anymore.

That single phone-call caused Novak’s world to become significantly more challenging.

Almost immediately after that call, Novak drove back to her home in Rockland County, NY. Determined to return to school, she took on a job at a card and gift store and submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) form.

It took Novak five months to finally be able to go back to New Paltz. Although she was able to return, she was burdened by student debt.

“Once you go to school, you start [accumulating] debt,” the associate director said. “So I worked the rest of the time I was in school. I’d have two or three jobs sometimes to pay for it.”

It took five years for Novak to graduate with a Sociology degree. Though, in spite of her challenges, she strongly feels that making mistakes and learning from them is what helped her through college.

“I think when you fail and then you pick yourself up again and you keep going for it [is my proudest moment in college],” Novak said. “Failing is not a negative. When you have something that happens in your life that you overcome, that makes you a stronger and better person. I’ve learned way more from my failures than I’ve ever learned from my successes. It’s taking those chances that help you grow as a person.”

Novak now dedicates her time to helping Pace students connect to the community and is currently instructing the “Revolution and Reform” and “Leadership and Advocacy” political science classes.

Because of her tough experience as a first-generation college student, she also co-created the “Are You F1rst” event, with Associate Director for Orientation and Transitions, Niki Fjeldal, to give the assistance and support to first-generation Pace students that she never had.

“Sometimes you feel like another person [as a first-generation student],” the political science professor said. “You don’t have any idea about simple things [in college], and so it makes you feel separate. I know how difficult it was for me when I was going through that transition and I want to support students here at Pace who are going through a similar thing to know that they’re not alone in that process.”

Nonetheless, Novak feels blessed to be a part of the Pace community with efforts to help Pace students in any way she can.

“When you like what you do, you’re not doing it for a paycheck,” the Associate Director said. “I feel lucky that I’m here.”