Megan is from Albany, Georgia. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Before joining the admissions team at PCOM South Georgia, she was a teacher in southwest Georgia for 5 years. She is currently the Assistant Director of Admissions and Junior CRM Administrator.
First gen is being the first in my family to graduate with a bachelor's degree. Even though neither of my parents were college graduates, I felt like I was expected to go to college. It was something I wanted to do for a couple of reasons: I wanted to make my family proud, but also because I knew I needed a college degree to meet the career goals I had set for myself.
It was exciting and a relief! It was one of the first times that I was able to step back and reflect on the fact that I had accomplished a huge goal that I had set for myself.
The pressure was real! I can be my own worst critic, but my support system really helped with this. I began this journey with my husband who is also first-gen. We got married after our first two years of community college and moved to Athens to complete our bachelor degrees together. Our families never doubted that we would reach our goals. Anytime self doubt would creep in for me, my husband and our families were always there to pick me up and ensure I kept it moving forward!
Paperwork, applications, deadlines, finances. Once I got through the first couple of years of these responsibilities and requirements for college, I began saying college was more about the process of working with different departments and meeting deadlines than it was the content in the courses. Being first-gen often means navigating a lot of these components on your own. It took a lot of determination and persistence to stay on top of these important pieces of the puzzle even though it can be confusing and frustrating. This is why I appreciate some of the federally funded programs that partner with high schools which can be great resources for students who may need assistance with these types of pressures.
Don’t give up. Keep moving forward. Reach out for help! And one thing I’m still trying to do…get comfortable being uncomfortable!
The most important experiences in my career thus far are the relationships I’ve built along the way. My favorite experiences are a culmination of what brought me to where I am today. Walking away from my teaching career was difficult but so many of those experiences and the knowledge I gained from that journey have given me a unique perspective for the work I am currently doing.
The Office of Diversity and Community Relations celebrates the unique accomplishments of first generation students. This series features PCOM faculty, staff and students who were the first to attend college, graduate school or medical school within their families. We believe spotlighting our first generation community members will encourage our students to use their talents to shine during professional school and as future healthcare providers.
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