It’s been two years thus far. It’s now my third, and couldn’t be more blessed to be in this position. Only one year left to go! As a first generation college student, I am beating the odds. However, what has made my college experience a bit different than others is that I am one of three young females of color in my Mechanical Engineering cohort that consist of 70 students. It’s been a challenge finding my place or even my purpose while in college, but I can still say I’m thankful. I’m thankful for the resources and support I have been given by my advisors, friends and professors. I would have never thought that I would be learning more from my environment than in my academic courses. I have built a foundation here and plan to graduate leaving a trail for those to follow. I was a small, shy girl from Texas that traveled over 1,000 miles with a dream to go to college. Taking a look now, I’m a completely different person. A grown young women, vocal in her ideas, actively participating in research, with two jobs, excelling in school and a stronger work ethic than before. The importance of support can only be stressed so much. I walked in lost, unaware and hopeless. Nobody had been in my position before. All that was given to me was my faith and values to work hard in whatever I choose to pursue. From the moment I walked on campus, I was welcomed with open arms. The community at my college gave me inspiration and resources to help me along the challenges I faced. I personally want to thank the David T. Kearns Center for allowing me to be myself. They have given me tutors, workshops, free books and just amazing support to continue on with my studies. The journey of college can be different for some, but we all struggle in some way or form throughout our time here. What keeps most of us through is the relationships we build here and the foundation that is established in the early stages of our college career. First generation students are rare in higher education. It is up to us to prove to society that we can do anything we set our minds to. We didn’t grow up with the resources, but we still surpassed our challenges and got accepted into college. No matter our difficulties, anything is possible. I appreciate my peers, advisors and professors for allowing me to be myself and grow to be the strong, young independent woman I am today.
