First Generation College Student by Katelyn

First Generation College Student by Katelyn - April 2024 Scholarship Essay

Growing up there was always the expectation that everyone should go to college. In high school if you said you weren’t going to college you were looked at differently. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to go to college. I was determined. When I first got accepted into college my family was so proud of me because none of them ever went to college. I am so grateful for my entire family because they are so supportive, and they all want me to have the experience they never got to have. This motivates me to do the best I can. I want to make them proud. My dream job is to become a forensic scientist. I took a forensics class my junior year of high school and that class made me realize that forensics was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Now I am in college studying my dream major.

Being away from home is a big adjustment. At first it was very hard to stay focused on my academics because I was missing my family and adjusting to being on my own. Now that my freshman year of college is almost over, I have figured out what works for me to stay focused on my schoolwork. I always make sure I keep my eye on the future. If assignments are hard or if I am overwhelmed, I just remind myself that in the end it will all be worth it. I am also a very organized person so keeping a daily planner really helps me to stay on top of my academics. In conclusion, I am determined to pursue my goal of becoming a forensics scientist as a first-generation college student.