“Neither of my parents completed college. My dad joined the Air Force at the age of 21 and never used his GI Bill benefits. My mom’s family could only afford to send her to one year of college. Still, both of my parents, my mom especially, were adamant that my brother and I would, at least, finish an undergraduate degree. I was fortunate enough to be an excellent student, and early on I determined that I was going to pay for my college on academic scholarships. I put a great of pressure on myself to achieve this, but it paid off. College was intimidating because I was making huge decisions for myself, and my parents had little knowledge or experience with which to help me. Now, as a university faculty member myself, I feel the need to be an advocate for those like me. If I can do it, they can, too, and I want to see them succeed.”