April 16, 2024
Kayla Mullins, a Wheelersburg, Ohio native, has benefited from the guidance and mentorship provided in the I Am First Gen mentorship program at Shawnee State University. First-generation college students are traditionally categorized as the first in their family to pursue a bachelor’s degree. As a first-gen student, Mullins has been grateful to be able to connect with her mentor for any guidance she may need with classes or college in general.
“It’s definitely exciting and nervous to be first-gen, but the classes can get a bit rough at times,” she said. “I can email my mentor and ask her about classes if I get stuck and for guidance in other areas.”
The I Am First Gen program at SSU connects first-generation students with mentors that can help them clear obstacles that arise on their path to earning a college degree. Many mentors are faculty and staff members working on campus that also identify as first-generation.
Pursuing a degree in Business Management, Mullins has always dreamed of starting and owning her own business. She believes with this degree she will be able to start off in the right direction to achieve her goal.
“I figured Business Management would give me better opportunities,” she said. “I feel like I am decent at being a people person to be able to fit in in this field.”
Balancing a life off campus with a family of her own, receiving extra support through the program has been helpful for Mullins to be able to focus on her studies without having the stress of extra questions coming up that she does not know the answer to on her own.
“I’ve always wanted to attend Shawnee and with the location being close to home I’m able to because I have four kids,” she said.
To learn more about the I Am First Gen program at Shawnee State University, visit shawnee.edu/firstgen.