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Telling stories is recognized as the primary way we express what we know and who we are since Aristotle. Storytelling is an “artisan form of communication” (Benjamin, 1969, p. 91), whose aim is to provide vicarious experience for the reader rather than merely conveying information in a report. The aim of storytelling goes beyond reporting; rather, it is to help the reader understand what it would be like to be in the shoes of the main character, provoking empathy, and compassion. Robinson and Hawpe (1986) point out that stories straddle the line between uniqueness and universality. That is, while a person’s story may reveal the storyteller’s unique situation or experience, it also reflects some commonalities shared with others’ experiences. Hence, stories offer the reader an opportunity to learn from the storyteller’s unique lived experiences, and at the same time, to examine his/her own experience that shares similar characteristics.

Research on FGC students abounds, informing us of the characteristics of this student population. However, most literature on FGC students portrays the characteristics of this population as something deficient, further reinforcing negative stereotypes and self-fulfilling prophecies onto this group of students. The purpose of our research is, hence, to better understand the lived experiences of first generation education students through their counter stories, those that defy the deficit model, which often tries to define them. In so doing, we aim to explore what it means to be an FGC student in teacher education and what implications this knowledge may have for schools, universities, and teacher preparation programs.

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