I was sitting in my office at California State University, Chico (CSU Chico), one warm afternoon during the spring 2009 semester when a very agitated student, who was scheduled to graduate in a few weeks, approached me for an extension on a course project.
“Why should I give you an extension?” I tried to ask nicely.
“I am under a lot of stress,” she said.
“What’s the problem?” I inquired.
“You wouldn’t understand. You see, I am the first in my family to go to college, and my family is making a big thing about graduation and expecting a lot from me, putting a lot of stress on me,” she whined.
“Actually, I do understand. I was the first in my family to go to college. Many of your peers are experiencing similar stressors. However, they are getting their assignments
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