I can’t believe I did that “Are you okay?” were the first words I heard after crashing through the fence at Old Dominion’s Equestrian Teams barn in Chesapeake, Virginia. Spring semester 2017 was my first semester as a student at Old Dominion University. I was looking forward to a semester of learning new challenges and …
Category: reflections
May 14
Ashlyn VanKampen
I am not only a first-generation student, but I am a nontraditional student as well. Out of high school I attended Virginia Tech and excelled as a freshman. No one in my family had ever gone to college before, so I had no roadmap” of how to successfully navigate tough classes extracurriculars and work. My …
May 14
Jennifer Hernandez
My name is Jennifer Hernandez, and I am a first generation student from El Salvador. Although there is a lot of pride that comes with being a first generation student, I must say that there are many obstacles we face. We should be setting ourselves up for success from the moment we enter high school, …
May 14
Kiera Scruggs
I am surprised with the woman I am today. Growing up, most people are told to get good grades and to go to college, and so was I. However, I wasn’t sure that was possible. I am the first person on both sides of my family that will be receiving a diploma from a four-year …
May 14
Destini Harrell
Do you see limitations as hurdles or brick walls? This thought came to me in the middle of the night. As a child of a single parent working two jobs in a low-income household and the first child in my family to attend a four-year institution, I was susceptible to falling into the trap that …
May 10
Bonnie Lee Miley
Since the day I stepped on campus as a non-traditional student pursuing my Engineering degree I have been amazed at the amount of support I have received from family and friends that have become family.I came here with the expectation that I would eventually get a bachelor’;s degree and on March 28, 2018, I received …
May 10
Luvenia Hankins
Wow, I quit my full-time ‘adult’ job! For five years prior to pursuing my bachelor’;s degree I worked in banking, making pretty decent money. Initially, I enrolled at ODU and went part time. For about 6 months prior to quitting I complained every day about how I wanted to leave my job and pursue my …
May 10
Denise Bowman
I was 38 years old when I made the decision to go to college. I wanted to go from time to time, before I got busy being a wife and mom. I took the leap of faith and applied for financial aide, As a single mom, I was terrified of failure and the expense it …
May 10
Kofi Kwarteng
Making the transition from high school to college was not very easy. As a first-generation student my understanding of college life was through the perception of friends and teachers. I started my first semester wandering through classes without making any connections or friendships. Back in High School I was not the type of person to …
Aug 31
Steven Cotter
When I graduated high school, there were no expectations of or financial resources for me attending college. I completed a two-year community college degree and did not return to college until I was 25. It was only at the encouragement of a fellow worker who was attending a local university that I returned to college …
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