Nicole Benford

Growing up, I always knew that I'd go to college despite not knowing anyone who had gone to college in my family before me. I loved learning, I loved school and I had several unique opportunities during my high school career including a program called Pre-Collegiate which was hosted at the University of Colorado. This program was for aspiring First Gen students and introduced us to what college would be like. I then went to Tuskegee University, an HBCU, for my first 2 years of college where I had small classes and teachers that helped me to transition into my collegiate career. I ended up going back home for my Junior / Senior year of college and graduated from the University of Colorado but my first-generation success can be attributed to my high school experience with the Pre-Collegiate program and my experience attending a smaller HBCU where I would not be lost among so many in a larger school. I am now not only a staff member of UNC Charlotte but also an alumni of UNC Charlotte where I got my Masters in Accounting in 2005.