Championing First-Generation Support

A woman wearing glasses, smiles and puts her hands on her hip in a classroom.

(Photo: Karsten Moran)

Paulaska Ramirez, MAS’11 (Metro)

By Kenna Caprio

Paulaska Ramirez, MAS’11 (Metro), wants to make more space for women who look like she does. She wants first-generation women to know that their cultural identity is a superpower, that they don’t have to shrink themselves in corporate settings, and that they belong everywhere.

“I’m a first-generation American and student,” she says. Her parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic.

In college, Ramirez relied on support services from William Paterson University’s Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program.

“I found out after undergrad that there wasn’t a dedicated space anymore to go to get support. But you never stop being first-gen. You never stop navigating spaces that weren’t built with you in mind.” The germ of an idea formed then — how could she support other first-generation women like her?

She started her career in social services before attending FDU for a graduate degree in administrative science. “One of my supervisors recommended it to me,” she says. “It wasn’t directly in social services, but I realized I could do a lot with the degree.” Maybe even find a way to offer lifelong first-generation support to others.

Taking classes with other professionals opened Ramirez up to new ideas. “My education has given me so much more than a degree. It gave me understanding, mentors, friends and perspective.”

After completing her master’s degree, she transitioned into higher education, giving back to the program that gave her so much at William Paterson. She spent 15 years with the EOF program there supporting students just like her.

“I’m a strategic thinker and I really developed that skill through my graduate degree,” she says. Her degree and higher education experience eventually allowed her big idea to come to fruition. “I took out my administrative science textbooks to help me create a strategic plan.”

In 2019, Ramirez launched a nonprofit called Generation Fearless to empower, uplift and support first-generation women, no matter their age or stage of life. Through workshops, one-day retreats, mentorship and community programming, Generation Fearless is making an impact.

“Generation Fearless is built out of social service. We’re only able to make progress, find healing and seek growth through a holistic approach,” she says. “So, yes, one of our pillars is financial wellness, but that’s linked to our other pillars: emotional wellness, professional development, immigration systems and navigation, health and embodied wellness, entrepreneurship and innovation, and cultural awareness and identity.”

She frequently appears at FDU as a guest speaker, and she also joined the alumni Board of Governors.

“I’m figuring it out little by little. And if women can show up authentically, understanding the power of their lived experience, we are going to be OK.”