Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

Earning a master's degree is no easy feat. Long papers and hours of studying are par for the course, and for first-gen TikToker Lorena @lowreynah (who is attending California State University Long Beach), her mom is right alongside her in the grind. She posted a sweet video of her mom sitting across from her at the library as she puts in time studying, which has touched a lot of hearts.

"Proud daughter of an immigrant 💚," she captioned the video, sharing in Spanish "orgullosa hija de un immigrante (proud daughter of an immigrant) and adding a Mexican flag emoji as a nod to her parents' home country. She goes on to write, "I'm adding to the 8% of latinas with a masters degree! 👏🏽" In her hashtags, she alluded that she is in school for social work. She added, "So grateful for my support system! 🤍." Lorena ended her caption with an encouraging sentiment to others. "To fellow first-gen students in higher education: si se puede! ❤️", which translates in English to "Yes you can!"



@lowreynah

proud daughter of an immigrant 💚 orgullosa hija de un immigrante 🇲🇽 im adding to the 8% of latinas with a masters degree! 👏🏽 so grateful for my support system! 🤍 to fellow first-gen students in higher education: si se puede! ❤️ #fyp #foryoupage #msw #highereducation #socialwork #socialworkersoftiktok #firstgen #csulb #longbeach #mexicana #immigrantparents

Lorena's video shows her mama journaling with headphones in, and she writes a poignant message detailing how her mom is her biggest cheerleader—even as Lorena struggles with her doubts and fears about being a student.

"It's finals week and imposter syndrome is at its high as a first-gen," she writes in the video. "But I look back to this moment: my mother who works tirelessly cleaning houses instead of resting wanted to accompany me at the library. While I studied she wrote in her notebook because she did not want me study alone. This is the type of mother she is. 🤍"

The supportive moment between mom and daughter pulled on many TikTokers hearts. One commented, "That’s an A+ mom 🥹," and another shared, "I’m crying. Appreciate her. Love her. It’s so sweet to see supportive moms. Not everyone gets that luxury 💕." The comment garnered a response from Lorena, who replied, "yes exactly! i don’t go a day without thinking how grateful i am for my parents 💖."

Many fellow first-gen students could also relate to Lorena's message about struggling with imposter syndrome and being the first in their family to continue their education. "I felt this exact same way when I was in college, and still do at my big girl job. Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong. But we DO belong in spaces our parents could only dream of 🫶🏼," one wrote, to which Lorena replied, "we do 💓 proud of you!" And another commented, "My dad when he would drop me at the college campus at 3 in the morning since it was in the way to his job. He would stay until the library would open to make sure I wasn’t outside. 😭." And Lorena responded with, "that’s love 💖🥹."

When another shared, "This made me so happy. I teared up thinking about my own journey as a first-gen who is now a teacher 🥹," Lorena wrote back, "omg 💖 thank you for sharing! thank you for all that you do!"

The resounding takeaway from Lorena's video can be summed up in three words: si se puede!

More For You

There's a new way to sign off of emails.

Representative Image: Sometimes "bye" is enough, right?

Gen Z is ditching ‘sincerely’ for hilarious email sign-offs, and people are loving it

If you've ever stared at the end of an email wondering if "Warm regards" sounded too stiff or if "Best" was just too boring, you're not alone. But Gen Z might have the best solution yet—just make it weird.

A viral TikTok has captured the internet’s attention with a series of unexpected, chaotic, and downright funny email sign-offs from young professionals. Instead of the usual business formalities, these sign-offs include things like “Hehe bye,” “That’s all… mmm… yeah,” and the ever-iconic “Alright, alright, alright.”

Keep ReadingShow less
A mother scolds her child in a dim room.

Parents might be setting their children up for a lifetime of issues without ever realizing it.

Psychologist warns about 'eggshell parenting'—and why its effects last a lifetime

Children thrive in environments where they feel safe, secure, and loved. But when these feelings are unpredictable, it can create lasting emotional harm. Dr. Kim Sage, a licensed psychologist from Newport, California, has popularized the term "eggshell parenting" to describe this dynamic. Through her TikTok channel (@drkimsage), she has shared hundreds of videos explaining how eggshell parenting affects children and their future relationships.

What is eggshell parenting?

Eggshell parenting occurs when a child's emotional environment is dictated by a parent's unpredictable outbursts. Dr. Sage explains that this forces children to be constantly on high alert, suppressing their natural emotions and behaviors to avoid triggering a negative reaction. "Eggshell parenting and emotionally unpredictable, unsafe parenting often creates a lifetime of hypervigilance in us and a deep belief that there’s no such thing as real safety in relationships," she says.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman gets perfect revenge on debt collectors who demanded to speak to her dead dad
Representative photo by Canva

Woman gets perfect revenge on debt collectors who demanded to speak to her dead dad

Handling the debts of a deceased family member can often become a stressful ordeal, particularly when creditors insist on speaking with someone who has passed away. Recently, Reddit user u/georgetgwtbn shared her unusual experience, detailing how she carefully managed almost all of her late father's financial obligations. However, things took a strange turn when a debt collection agency demanded to speak directly to her father—despite him having passed away several years earlier. This peculiar insistence prompted her to grant their request in a uniquely memorable way.


Keep ReadingShow less
Actor James Avery; The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air logo

Uncle Phil, played by actor James Avery, on the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Kingkongphoto/Wikipedia

Why millennials are saying Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince is the greatest TV dad ever

Sitcoms hit a peak in the 80s and 90s—and most Millennials can claim that they 'grew up' with them. A lot of time it was the father figures in these TV shows who proved to be standout characters, but one dad captured Millennials hearts over all the rest: Uncle Phil, played by actor James Avery in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Uncle Phil was deemed the best sitcom dad by Millennials, and he earned the title from one of his show's most impactful scenes from the episode "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse" that aired in May 1994.

In it, Will (played by actor Will Smith) spends time with his dad Lou, who has been absent for the past 14 years. Uncle Phil is distrustful of Lou and protective over his nephew Will. So when Lou decides to dip out on a trip he planned with Will, Uncle Phil steps into Will's pain and supports him. It plays out as one of the most emotional scenes Millennials can remember–making Uncle Phil the best TV dad in their eyes.

Keep ReadingShow less

Dad explains how he 'protects' daughter by taking her into the women's bathroom

While some states have made great progress in improving the child changing stations in men's bathrooms, many still lag behind. A few years ago, father Charles Mau went viral when he shared the appalling conditions he encountered while changing his daughter.

That's why Chronicles of Daddy blogger Muhammed Nitoto decided to share his solution to the problem: taking his daughter into the women's bathroom instead. In a viral Instagram post, Nitoto explained that he does so to "protect" his daughter from "all things that aren't for them, and the men's bathroom is 100% one of those things."

Keep ReadingShow less