In times of adversity, your family can become a pillar of strength, offering unwavering support, lending a listening ear and extending a helping hand. They are the ones who teach us the invaluable lessons of resilience and perseverance. It's in the face of life's challenges that we realize how deeply meaningful and irreplaceable these bonds are. 

For senior computer science major Noelani Villiarimo, her family means the world to her. Generations before her faced several hardships, but the family has worked hard through it all to propel her and her sisters to become first-generation college students.  

Her grandmother became a widow and struggled to find jobs as a single mom to afford to feed her 11 children in Mexico City, often skipping meals herself so that her children would have enough to eat. And after a gas explosion, the family had to flee the city and rebuild their lives. 

“She did everything to support and take care of her kids. She is my hero,” Noelani said. “She’s experienced so much. We come from a very poor background and the American dream is so real for us.” 

Noelani’s mother left Mexico and landed in Hawaii to start her own family. And her father has worked his entire life as an entrepreneur in order to provide for the family and encourage the girls to get an education.  

“I love my parents. My dad is my mentor. He is always the first person to give to anyone in need,” she said. “They have sacrificed so much, and they see the American dream within us.” 

The family lived in Lahaina on Maui, a tight-knit community where everyone knows each other. She even said it was normal to call people in the stores “auntie” even if they weren’t related to you. However, the universities on the island didn’t quite fit the family's needs, so she and her sisters left Hawaii to attend school in the continental United States.  

“In my family, we're all close. They're the type of people that want you to go to college, but [if the college] doesn't have a class that for you, then you all [go to another one] together,” she said. "We moved here alone in Texas, not knowing anyone here. Their sacrifices and support have really made me the person I am.”  

Noelani first joined her sisters at Texas Wesleyan University as a pre-medical student but decided to transfer to the University of Texas at Arlington to major in architecture. However, after a few semesters, she felt like the environment at UTA wasn’t quite right for her. She came back to Texas Wesleyan, changing her major to computer science.  

“I'm a first-generation student, which is a big deal, especially with changing majors. That was really scary. It was hard because every single time I changed, even though I was doing well academically, emotionally I wasn't,” she said. “I felt like a failure, or that I might be just like a college dropout.”  

But Noelani started to thrive at Texas Wesleyan as she started working closely with the professors here. 

“I love my professors here,” she said. “I get to have these close relationships with these professors. I feel like they're the type that just wants you to be the best in your field. I think that really makes me more motivated to do well.” 

Noelani states that computer science is a lot like architecture — both use creativity, math and technology to help build user-friendly environments, just one does it for buildings and the other does it for computer software.  

She is also the treasurer of the Dimensions Club — an organization for students in math, computer science and physics to get connected and meet professionals in the area. She says it is important for students in these majors to get involved since a lot of projects in the field are individual work.   

After graduating, Noelani is looking to pursue a master’s degree in either mathematics or computer science. She wants to work with computer graphics and biotechnology.  

Her sisters have both graduated from Texas Wesleyan, and a few of their cousins are currently enrolled at the University as well. Noelani is expected to graduate in spring 2024, making her part of the first generation of her family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.  

“Sometimes it becomes a lot of pressure [to be a first-generation student], but you also get motivated,” Noelani said. “I need to do well, make my parents proud and see that all their sacrifices weren't taken in vain or for granted.”