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First-Gen Professional: Negotiating Identity, Power, and Belonging
What does it really mean to be first-generation after college ends?
In this episode of Do Better with Debra, I'm joined by Dr. Bryan Rojas-Araúz for a powerful, deeply human conversation about what it means to be first-gen forever. Together, we explore the reality of moving through professional and leadership spaces without a blueprint, negotiating identity, belonging, and authenticity in systems that were never designed with us in mind.
Bryan shares his journey from being an undocumented, first-generation college student to becoming a licensed psychologist, professor, and scholar-activist. We talk about the moments that shaped him, the mentors who helped open doors, and the internal negotiations that followed him from college into professional life. We also name the pressure many first-gen professionals feel to overperform, code-switch, and constantly prove they belong just to earn a seat at the table.
This conversation is about more than career paths. It's about reclaiming identity, understanding lived experience as wisdom, and letting go of the need to ask permission to exist. We reflect on imposter syndrome, authenticity, and why belonging doesn't come from institutions, but from clarity about who you are and why you're here.
If you are a first-generation professional navigating work, family, leadership, or identity, and feel like you are always negotiating who you can be in different spaces, this episode is for you.
My hope is that you hear something that reminds you that you are not behind, you are not imagining it, and you do not need permission to take up space.
Key Takeaways:
- First-gen identity does not end at graduation. It continues throughout professional and personal life.
- Negotiating systems often begins as a strategy for access, but awareness allows us to choose what we no longer need to negotiate.
- Overachievement, performance, and constant proving are common responses to navigating spaces without a roadmap.
- Authenticity is not just personal; it is a leadership practice and a form of resistance.
- Belonging does not come from institutions that were not built for us. It comes from community, purpose, and self-trust.
About Dr. Bryan Rojas-Araúz:
Dr. Bryan Rojas-Araúz is a bilingual, bicultural Afroindigenous immigrant of Costa Rican and Panamanian descent. He is a licensed psychologist, educator, and scholar-activist whose work centers trauma, immigration, culturally responsive and decolonial healing, and the social conditions that shape wellbeing.
He is the founder of In Lak'ech Counseling, Education, and Consulting, where he provides trauma- and culturally responsive psychological services, immigration evaluations, training, consultation, and speaking engagements. Dr. Rojas-Araúz is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the International Disaster Psychology: Trauma and Global Mental Health program at the University of Denver, where he facilitates Spanish-language supervision in the Trauma and Disaster Psychology Clinic.
His work centers Latine and Indigenous wellness, critical consciousness, and collective care. He is a co-author of the Workbook for Social Action for Counselors, Psychologists, and Helping Professionals and identifies as a scholar-activist, hip hop educator, slam poet, and documentary filmmaker.
Connect with Dr. Bryan Rojas-Araúz:
Learn more about his work at In Lak'ech Counseling, Education, and Consulting at www.inlakechcec.com
About the Host:
Debra Y. Griffith, Ed.D. is an executive coach, consultant, and the voice behind the Do Better with Debra podcast. She currently serves as Chief Equity Programs Officer at Alliance College-Ready Public Schools in Los Angeles, where she leads network-wide equity strategy focused on college readiness, belonging, and postsecondary completion across 25 schools.
With more than 25 years in education and leadership, Debra supports women of color leaders navigating transition, carrying a lot, and still committed to leading transformative change in their organizations and in their own lives. Through coaching, consulting, and storytelling, she creates spaces for reflection, clarity, and courage.
Connect with Debra:
Website: www.dobetterexecutivecoaching.com
LinkedIn: Debraygriffith
Instagram: @dobetterwithdebra
Subscribe to Do Better with Debra on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
View all episodes
By Debra Y. Griffith, Ed.D.What does it really mean to be first-generation after college ends?
In this episode of Do Better with Debra, I'm joined by Dr. Bryan Rojas-Araúz for a powerful, deeply human conversation about what it means to be first-gen forever. Together, we explore the reality of moving through professional and leadership spaces without a blueprint, negotiating identity, belonging, and authenticity in systems that were never designed with us in mind.
Bryan shares his journey from being an undocumented, first-generation college student to becoming a licensed psychologist, professor, and scholar-activist. We talk about the moments that shaped him, the mentors who helped open doors, and the internal negotiations that followed him from college into professional life. We also name the pressure many first-gen professionals feel to overperform, code-switch, and constantly prove they belong just to earn a seat at the table.
This conversation is about more than career paths. It's about reclaiming identity, understanding lived experience as wisdom, and letting go of the need to ask permission to exist. We reflect on imposter syndrome, authenticity, and why belonging doesn't come from institutions, but from clarity about who you are and why you're here.
If you are a first-generation professional navigating work, family, leadership, or identity, and feel like you are always negotiating who you can be in different spaces, this episode is for you.
My hope is that you hear something that reminds you that you are not behind, you are not imagining it, and you do not need permission to take up space.
Key Takeaways:
- First-gen identity does not end at graduation. It continues throughout professional and personal life.
- Negotiating systems often begins as a strategy for access, but awareness allows us to choose what we no longer need to negotiate.
- Overachievement, performance, and constant proving are common responses to navigating spaces without a roadmap.
- Authenticity is not just personal; it is a leadership practice and a form of resistance.
- Belonging does not come from institutions that were not built for us. It comes from community, purpose, and self-trust.
About Dr. Bryan Rojas-Araúz:
Dr. Bryan Rojas-Araúz is a bilingual, bicultural Afroindigenous immigrant of Costa Rican and Panamanian descent. He is a licensed psychologist, educator, and scholar-activist whose work centers trauma, immigration, culturally responsive and decolonial healing, and the social conditions that shape wellbeing.
He is the founder of In Lak'ech Counseling, Education, and Consulting, where he provides trauma- and culturally responsive psychological services, immigration evaluations, training, consultation, and speaking engagements. Dr. Rojas-Araúz is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the International Disaster Psychology: Trauma and Global Mental Health program at the University of Denver, where he facilitates Spanish-language supervision in the Trauma and Disaster Psychology Clinic.
His work centers Latine and Indigenous wellness, critical consciousness, and collective care. He is a co-author of the Workbook for Social Action for Counselors, Psychologists, and Helping Professionals and identifies as a scholar-activist, hip hop educator, slam poet, and documentary filmmaker.
Connect with Dr. Bryan Rojas-Araúz:
Learn more about his work at In Lak'ech Counseling, Education, and Consulting at www.inlakechcec.com
About the Host:
Debra Y. Griffith, Ed.D. is an executive coach, consultant, and the voice behind the Do Better with Debra podcast. She currently serves as Chief Equity Programs Officer at Alliance College-Ready Public Schools in Los Angeles, where she leads network-wide equity strategy focused on college readiness, belonging, and postsecondary completion across 25 schools.
With more than 25 years in education and leadership, Debra supports women of color leaders navigating transition, carrying a lot, and still committed to leading transformative change in their organizations and in their own lives. Through coaching, consulting, and storytelling, she creates spaces for reflection, clarity, and courage.
Connect with Debra:
Website: www.dobetterexecutivecoaching.com
LinkedIn: Debraygriffith
Instagram: @dobetterwithdebra
Subscribe to Do Better with Debra on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.