{"id":592,"date":"2023-03-27T08:33:50","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T15:33:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/?p=592"},"modified":"2023-03-27T08:42:17","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T15:42:17","slug":"first-gen-global-campus-cougs-share-their-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/2023\/03\/27\/first-gen-global-campus-cougs-share-their-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"First-Gen Global Campus Cougs Share their Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Jeff Willadsen, Global Campus Senior Writer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First-generation college students make up a large percentage of the WSU Global Campus Student population, with 29% bearing this distinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst-gen students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences, and many have faced significant challenges on their academic journeys,\u201d said Global Campus Chancellor Dave Cillay. \u201cAll of these students have a unique story to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Stefanie Armenta<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Stefanie Armenta, originally from Mexico, never thought that she would have the opportunity to improve her life through higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI migrated to the states when I was just a child. My parents got separated during the trip and my mother and I had to find shelter until my father was able to find us again,\u201d she said. \u201cAfter I became a citizen, I knew that I wanted to help others in similar situations. I felt in my heart that WSU Global Campus would be a great resource to help me achieve that goal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armenta is now preparing to graduate in December 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. She plans to use her degree to start a career in community advocacy, helping undocumented people and others achieve their dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy family has been my rock through it all. My husband and children have given me the courage and strength to carry on in this journey,\u201d said Armenta. \u201cThey have been my reason for wanting to achieve a higher education, for them and for myself. I\u2019m very grateful to my parents as well for making the sacrifice and moving here in order to give us a better life and opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Joseph Mello<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Joseph Mello, who is pursuing a bachelor\u2019s in criminal justice though WSU Global Campus, was also the first in his family to attend college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing a first-gen student for me carries a lot of responsibility. I now set the standard for the generations in my family to follow,\u201d he said. \u201cI serve as a role model and inspiration for my family members, and I take that very seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mello, who currently works as an officer in the Kent Police Department, plans to use his degree to expand his career in law enforcement and inspire those around him to boost their own careers through higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cIt was difficult to manage classes, raise a family, and work a fulltime stressful job in law enforcement.\u201d But, Mello says, he achieved success through the support of his wife of 30 years, Delores, and through mutual support and camaraderie with other students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wish I would have known how truly special WSU was before attending,\u201d he said. \u201cBecoming part of the WSU family has been a great accomplishment in my life, and I love shouting, \u2018Go Cougs!\u2019 when I see another Coug.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Joy Thompson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Joy Thompson, also a first-generation student, works as a student services manager for WSU Global Campus. It\u2019s her passion to help Global Campus students, including those who share her first-gen experience, achieve their academic goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI grew up travelling the country, and I always knew that I wanted to attend college,\u201d she said. \u201cI loved school and was motivated to succeed. I also had many great faculty members that helped me explore and grow through the challenges of college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though she didn\u2019t originally plan it, her career eventually led her to WSU Global Campus and academic advising. It\u2019s her wish that her experiences as a first-gen student can help other students achieve their own goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would tell first-gen students today to not be afraid to reach out early on regarding their future. Ask lots of questions on how to get there,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cThere are a lot of things you don\u2019t know that you don\u2019t know. Looking back on my own experience, I wish I had reached out for help more often.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mello also had words of encouragement for fellow first-gen students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I could, I would tell my younger self, or first-gen students like me, \u2018Take the challenge and go to college. Life favors the prepared and nothing prepares you for life better than college!\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would tell other first-gen students that the work they are doing now will be forever embraced by those around them,\u201d said Armenta. \u201cThey are setting the stage for future generations to reach their dreams. Never give up and continue to dream big, because if you can dream it, you can achieve it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Global Campus first-gen students have been recognized in an article published on the WSU Insider<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to recognize and celebrate these students for their incredible tenacity, resilience, and passion for learning, as well as for their countless positive contributions to WSU Global Campus,\u201d said Cillay. \u201cThey are an inspiration to us all.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jeff Willadsen, Global Campus Senior Writer First-generation college students make up a large percentage of the WSU Global Campus Student population, with 29% bearing this distinction. \u201cFirst-gen students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences, and many have faced significant challenges on their academic journeys,\u201d said Global Campus Chancellor Dave Cillay. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13308,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"wsuwp_university_location":[],"wsuwp_university_org":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13308"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=592"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":593,"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592\/revisions\/593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=592"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_location?post=592"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_org","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/online.wsu.edu\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_org?post=592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}