First-Gen Stories and Success
Ryan Christensen
Associate Director - Financial Aid & Scholarships
Hometown: Logan, Utah
Bachelor Degrees in Economics, Human Resource Management, and a Minor in International Business – Utah State University
Masters in Business Administration – Utah State University
What advice do you have for First-Generation Students?
Take everything one step at a time and never stop asking questions. As First-Generation students we often don’t have parent or others who can help us know what the steps are to be successful in school. Fortunately, schools have excellent professionals in admissions, financial aid, registrars, money management, advising, tutoring, and more. Take every opportunity to task ask many questions to as many areas as you possibly can. Let them know you are a first generation student and that you and/or your parents are unfamiliar with everything needed to get going as a student. “Nobody told me” is a myth. There is always many good willing people eager to teach and tell everything they know but you have to approach them and ask. Take responsibility by gathering the courage to go and be present and ask away and you’ll find mentors and many eager to help you in your journey. But it all starts with YOU.
Blake Kuntz
Hometown: Helena, MT
Secondary Education English
What advice do you have for First-Generation Students?
Treat school like a job. Clock in, do the work, do it well, and then clock off.
Dr. Ilse-Mari Lee
Dean of the Honors College
Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa
What advice do you have for First-Generation Students?
My advice to first-gen students is to embrace two qualities: perseverance
and grit. This will enable you to see challenges and disappointments as
learning opportunities: as gifts in disguise. This approach to life, will make
you unstoppable. Keep your eye on a distant star (Seneca) and not on the
immediate stormy and deep waters you might find yourself in. Always
remember, that you are on this path not to enhance your life, but to
support those who surround and depend on you. The more you know,
the more you will be able to contribute to our broken world. And, don’t
forget to smile
Brenda Truman-Christoffel
Assistant Dean of Student Services & Retention
Hometown: Livingston, MT
What advice do you have for First-Generation Students?
Everyone is nervous. No one knows what they are doing. Some are better at looking the part, but nobody knows how to navigate college on day one. It’s a learning a process, and there’s an amazing support team here at MSU to help you along the way. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Smart people ask questions. Everyone here wants to help you succeed; just let us know what you need