She mentions, "If I hadn't gone to UAH, I would not have been aware of the Fulbright program, which is one of the programs that I advise for now. I actually applied for it as a student at UAH through the guidance of my German professor, Dr. Dave Johnson. He helped me through the process, and I actually ended up going to Germany to teach English for a year as a result."
You've mentioned getting support from one of your professors. Were there any other supporters or mentor figures for you in your college journey?
My parents were always very supportive of my journey through college. Neither had previous experience with college, as my mom got her GED and my father was in the National Guard and worked for NASA straight out of high school (this was the ‘70s). Even though they didn't know firsthand what I was going through, they were always incredibly supportive.
The UAH History Department helped shape me into the person I am today. They really took me under their wing and supported me as a student. I also worked at the Writing Center and had two supervisors who were also wonderful mentors. They really helped me with understanding how to tutor ESL students, which then helped me prepare for the Fulbright and my master’s degree in linguistics.
What does First Gen mean to you?
I'm very proud to be a person in my family who has a degree and who went on to get an even higher degree. Education has always been important to me, and I’m glad that I’ve been able to turn it into a career. Most importantly, I can use my experience to help students who are going through the same thing.
What advice would you give to another First Gen student?
There is a support system for you here. It can be hard to know where that is, but taking advantage of WoW events, information sessions, or attending events going on within your department or college can prepare you both academically and socially for the rest of your time at UAH. There are people here that genuinely want to help establish that support system.