The "First-Generation CORE Project: Cultivating Opportunities, Resources, & Equity" was designed to better understand and support first-generation college students. First-generation college students are defined as individuals whose parents have not yet attained a four-year college degree and are considered an underrepresented student population in higher education. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, first-generation students faced unique challenges in higher education with limited institutional support. The pandemic has further exacerbated these hardships and these impacts have yet to be examined in-depth. First-Gen "CORE" sought to fill this gap. Through a series of focus groups, a diverse cohort of 14 first-generation college students shared experiences regarding academic, financial, and social challenges at their university. Informed by counter-storytelling, community cultural wealth, and cultural mismatch theories, this study used a qualitative, asset-based approach to explore educational inequities through the voices of first-generation students. Five main themes emerged from the data: 1) The Emotional Complexity of the First-Generation College Student Identity, 2) The Academic Adaptation and Awareness of First-Generation College Students, 3) The Multifaceted Identities of First-Generation College Students, 4) The Financial Trials and Triumphs of First-Generation College Students, and 5) Navigating the Social Landscape in Academia as First-Generation College Students. Results demonstrate the need for tangible institutional support so first-generation college students can continue to overcome educational obstacles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings also discuss specific protective factors and barriers the CORE collaborators experienced during their time as students at the university. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]