When Alondra Solis Ayala steps onto the grounds of the United Nations in New York City this week, she’ll carry with her the hopes and challenges of countless first-generation college students across America.
Ayala, a senior at Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) and president of its student government, will address a gathering of leaders and college students from around the nation at the GlobalMindED conference on October 10. Her mission: to shed light on the crisis of underemployment facing recent college graduates, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.
“This isn’t just about me,” said Ayala. “It’s about every student who’s worked nights to pay for classes, who’s struggled to navigate a system their parents couldn’t prepare them for.”
The conference comes at a critical time. A recent report from the Strada Institute for the Future of Work and the Burning Glass Institute reveals that 52% of recent four-year college graduates are underemployed a year after graduation. About 45% remain in jobs that don’t require a four-year degree a decade later.
For first-generation students like Ayala, the stakes are even higher. “We’re not just aiming for any job,” she explained. “We’re trying to break cycles of poverty and underemployment, to validate the sacrifices our families have made.”
The Strada report indicates stark racial disparities in underemployment rates. One year after graduation, 60% of Black graduates are underemployed, compared to 53 percent of white graduates and 57 percent of Hispanic and Latino graduates.
These statistics aren’t just numbers to Ayala. They represent real struggles she’s witnessed among her peers at CSU Pueblo, where a significant portion of the student body comes from underrepresented communities.
“I’ve seen brilliant friends take jobs well below their skill level just to start paying off loans,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking, and it’s a waste of potential.”
Carol J. Carter, founder and CEO of GlobalMindED, sees students like Ms. Ayala as crucial to solving this crisis. “By bringing voices like Alondra’s to the table, we’re not just discussing the problem—we’re engaging those directly affected in crafting solutions,” Carter said.
The journey from Pueblo to the UN podium hasn’t been easy for Ayala. As a child of immigrants, she navigated the college application process largely on her own. Now, as she prepares to graduate, she faces the very challenges she’ll be discussing at the conference.
“There’s this pressure,” she admitted. “You’re told a degree is the key to success, but then you see the statistics, and it’s scary.”
Yet, Ayala remains optimistic. Her involvement in student government and her selection for the GlobalMindED conference have opened doors she never imagined possible. “Each experience, each connection, feels like a step toward breaking that cycle of underemployment,” she said.
Armando Valdez, president of CSU Pueblo, sees Ayala’s participation in the conference as a win for the entire institution. “Alondra represents the best of what we strive for—students who not only excel academically but who are poised to make real change in the world,” he said.
As she prepares for her trip to New York, Ms. Ayala is acutely aware of the responsibility she carries. “I’m not just speaking for myself, I’m speaking for every student who’s ever doubted they belong in college, who’s ever worried their degree might not be enough.”
Her goal for the conference is clear. It’s to ensure that the voices of first-generation students are heard in discussions about the future of education and employment. “We’re not statistics,” she insisted. “We’re the future workforce, and our experiences matter.”
Ayala plans to do more than treat the trip to the Big Apple as just another speaking engagement. “I’m looking forward to seeing those New York City sunsets,” she said with a smile. “But more than that, I’m looking forward to bringing a piece of Pueblo—and every first-gen student’s dreams—to the global stage.”
As the conference approaches, Ms. Ayala’s journey from a small Colorado city to the United Nations serves as a reminder of the potential within every student, regardless of their background. It also underscores how universities like CSU Pueblo are helping students address the underemployment crisis facing graduates—a crisis that, if solved, could mean a wave of talent and innovation across the American workforce.
