Sam Suptela

I am a proud first-gen college student from a rural town in North Carolina — not a stoplight in sight! When I was in middle school and high school, my friends and I would work on my family's poultry farm to earn money to buy clothes from American Eagle at the local mall. I always had an interest in science, and I knew I wanted to get my PhD by the sixth grade. My parents used to joke that they didn't know where I got it from; regardless, they raised me with a love for education and always supported my academic pursuits as best as they could. I understand the barriers and the uncertainty that can come from being a first-gen student, and my hope is that I can support, inspire, and help my students succeed no matter their background. We are all in this together!