Megan McWhirter

As a First-Generation college student, my parents always supported me, but they didn’t have the knowledge or experience to help guide me. Therefore, I did the college application process on my own. I did all the research, booked all the tours, and did all the applications; I tried to do everything to the best of my ability. Perhaps the biggest hurdle for me being First-Gen was not knowing which details were most important. College felt like this untouchable dream, and when I was accepted as my top choice, it was an honest dream come true. With these high expectations, my first year of college more resembled a nightmare, but it gave me the experience I needed to know what to do next. I took a step back and did a year of community college while I restarted my research process. Amidst the pandemic, I changed my major and transferred to a University that appeared to have a strong program for what I wanted to do. Now, I’m about to graduate with a full-time job and plenty of resilience, strength, and knowledge that I have gathered throughout my First-Generation journey.