Bill Janes

What advice do you have for current first-gen Mizzou students?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help or admit when you need it. It can be intimidating to admit when you don’t know what’s going on or what some new term means –especially when it seems like everyone else has it all figured out. But the longer you wait to ask for clarification, the longer you’re going to be confused. Ask enough questions and before you know it, you’ll be the one who has it all figured out!

How does your experience as a first-gen student affect how you teach students today?
I try not to assume that anybody knows what the heck is going on. Any time I’m communicating with students, be it writing an email, preparing a lecture, crafting exam questions, or having a one-on-one conversation, I try to put myself back in the place they are at in their journey. I ask myself, “If I wiped the past twenty years of my memory, would I understand this?” If the answer is “No,” I need to rethink it.

As a first-gen grad, what are you most proud of?
As a first-gen grad, I just feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. For every success I had along the way, there was someone who encouraged me, showed me grace, or gave me a chance. I guess what I’m most proud of are the times I have been able to draw on those lessons and give the same support to a student.

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Ashley Givens

What advice do you have for current first-gen Mizzou students?
Get to know your instructors! College life can be difficult to navigate and you won’t know all the resources that exist –communicate with your instructors and your advisor whenever you have questions or needs.

How does your experience as a first-gen student affect how you teach students today?
I work really hard to get to know all of my students and learn about their interests. I think I take extra care to share opportunities with them whenever I know it is something they are interested in. I also try to bring information to my whole class that isn’t related to academics specifically (e.g., events, opportunities, etc.) in case students don’t know how to get involved.

As a first-gen grad, what are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the awesome work I get to do with my wonderful colleagues. My research and teaching both focus on supporting others and looking for ways to facilitate growth and opportunity. Knowing that I impact someone, even in small ways, makes me proud of what I have accomplished.

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Erin Robinson

What advice do you have for current first-gen Mizzou students?
I would advise first-generation college students to seek out mentorship from someone who can help guide their academic and career decisions. This can be one person or multiple people. I think it is helpful to find an individual you admire and could see your career path following in a similar direction. Ask questions about how they got to where they are, and then seek out opportunities to gain those experiences. While all of our paths should look different, having some guidance is especially helpful for first-generation college students since we don’t always get that exposure. I would also encourage first-generation college students to be brave, take risks, and don’t limit their options. And finally, my last piece of advice is to find ways to travel the world. Travel exposes us to so much more in life and really opens our worldview. Knowing that I had limited finances to travel, I enrolled in the Peace Corps and spent two years doing HIV work in Botswana in order to help expose me to other countries and rich cultures.

How does your experience as a first-gen student affect how you teach students today?
I am extremely mindful in telling my students that I am a first-generation college student, as I think it helps empower them in the classroom. I also encourage my first-gen students to reach out to me if they should need some guidance in navigating some of the questions that come up as a first-gen student. I believe that being a first-gen student myself also makes me more empathetic in understanding challenges that some students face, such as navigating a master’s education and the job market, and also simple study skills such as how to keep organized with a calendar and due dates. I help my students build emotional intelligence and resilience, as I believe those traits are invaluable in completing advanced degrees and for self-growth. I will also spend more time with my students in helping them develop their writing skills and study habits, as I believe those are things in which I needed extra support when I was an undergraduate student.

As a first-gen grad, what are you most proud of?
There are many things that I am proud of in my personal and professional journeys, and at the same time –I have made a lot of mistakes along the way. I am very grateful that I listened to myself, set my goals high, recovered from missteps, and just kept going. That resilience has been key for me.

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Clark M. Peters

What advice do you have for current first-gen Mizzou students?
Without the benefit of parents who have been through college before, there will be many things on campus with which you won’t be familiar. And you don’t know what you don’t know! Take advantage of opportunities to learn, be curious, and use the many resources available to help. I wish I had done so, but my instinct was to achieve success myself and not show that I needed help in any way. Part of that, I’m sure was part of the imposter syndrome that afflicts many first-gen students. Take advantage of all that the university offers! If you find yourself struggling with anything—finances, anxiety, procrastination, writing, relationships—reach out and you’ll find someone to guide you to help.

How does your experience as a first-gen student affect how you teach students today?
Like everyone else, my own life experiences affect how I teach, and took a few lessons from my own educational path. First, I try to be patient with students who take longer to learn how to negotiate the college campus and manage curricular expectations. I know that sometimes a personal contact can help bring someone back onto the path, especially on a large campus like MU. Second, I recognize that first-gen students sometimes resist getting help and I remind my students to take advantage of all the services that they are already paying for. Finally, I recognize that students arrive in class with different strengths. For those who come from an underperforming public school system, classes can be difficult at first. Many are balancing long hours at work to help pay for their schooling, if not their parents back home. These obstacles, however, can also bring out the best in people, and some flexibility paired with high expectations can help students reach their full potential.

As a first-gen grad, what are you most proud of?
My parents, even though they didn’t attend college, placed a high value on education, and it was always an expectation that I and my siblings would go to college. I take some pride in the degrees I hold, but more than that I value the lessons I learned along the way from classes, readings, and mentors. I took Mark Twain’s advice and didn’t let schooling get in the way of my formal education—which was admittedly long and arduous—and I remain curious and committed to learning. And as a college professor, I have found my students are often great teachers.

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Brad J. Ferguson

What advice do you have for current first-gen Mizzou students?
Find a mentor at MU that you can celebrate the good times with but who can also help you navigate the tough times. This can be a professor, an advisor, or anyone else you meet along the way that you can confide in. For example, I made good friends with a building coordinator on campus. We had some of the best conversations that weren’t related to work or school which helped a lot.

How does your experience as a first-gen student affect how you teach students today?
I started out in community college as a business major and ended up a neuroscientist. I followed my own path and failed a lot along the way for sure. I teach students it’s ok to fail as it means you’re trying something new. The key is to get back up and either try again or try something new.

As a first-gen grad, what are you most proud of?
I’m proud to teach students what I learned about handling failure. As a first-gen graduate, I had the impression that people who graduated from college never failed (wow was I wrong!). What I learned was that everyone fails at some point, but those who became successful kept going and didn’t quit.

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Crystal Lim

What advice do you have for current first-gen Mizzou students?
Do not be afraid to ask questions -there is no way for you to know what you do not know so
asking questions and being curious about the college experience and what you should expect or anticipate when you graduate college and are in the job market are all important. Also do not be afraid to try new things -in college, there may be many new opportunities that come your way and it is important to be open to them as they may end up leading you down a path toward a career you love and find rewarding.

How does your experience as a first-gen student affect how you teach students today?
I believe it allows me to be a better mentor and advocate for trainees. I try to meet students where they are, allow them safety and space to ask questions, and am open to sharing my own experiences with them in order to demonstrate they are not the only ones feeling specific ways about their academic pursuits. Also, I try to share with trainees information about how the graduate student application review process works so they can make informed decisions about pursuing professional training. I think for trainees having some insider knowledge from someone who is also a first-gen college student helps them not feel so alone in their confusion regarding academia.

As a first-gen grad, what are you most proud of?
I am most proud of making my family proud of my accomplishments. My family members have been my biggest cheerleaders and supporters so making them proud has made the years of training in college and graduate school all worth it.