Did you know that 23% of College of Forestry undergraduate students are the first in their family to attend college? In addition, many of our graduate students, faculty and staff were also first-generation students. They persevered through challenges and bring important perspectives that help many COF students today.
We had the privilege of hearing from three first-generation members of the COF community. They share with us the importance of resilience and remind us that education holds power for personal and community transformation. Cathy Knock, director of budget and compliance for the college, began her story by sharing that her life circumstances were intertwined with her journey towards higher education as a non-traditional student.
“I went back to school to earn my first degree when I was 34, newly divorced, and a single parent to two small children,” she said. “It was literally starting from scratch…a new town, new school for my oldest, new daycare for my youngest, and trying to do it all with virtually no support. And since no one in my family had ever gone to college, I didn’t really have anyone I could ask for guidance. So, I had to figure it out on my own.”
She said that the strength to overcome these challenges came from the belief that earning a college degree would create opportunities for her and move her family toward financial security. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, she continued on to earn a master’s degree while working full-time.
“That also was a struggle, but the end result was worth it,” she said. “I learned that I could do really hard things and that I was resilient. Once I set my mind to something, I can make it happen.”
Knock was not alone in having to navigate university systems by herself. Allison Monroe, a master’s student studying overlooked insect species and their ecological impact in the college’s forest ecosystems and society department, shared this experience as well.
“Being among the first in my family to attend college is both a path lit by pride and shadowed by isolation,” Monroe said. “Navigating this uncharted territory is empowering, but it also means carrying the weight of each challenge without a built-in support network, where every setback echoes louder.”
Along with this challenge is the feeling of “not knowing what you don’t know.” It’s hard to know how to ask for help if you don’t know what you’re missing out on or what support and opportunities exist. Ashley D’Antonio, associate professor in nature-based recreation management and associate department head for forest ecosystems and society, discussed how this shaped part of her undergraduate experience.
“I knew getting research experience as an undergraduate student was important, however, I did not know how to find those experiences,” she said. “I felt I had to work harder than non first-gen students to find the resources to support my education.”
D’Antonio’s experience as a first-generation student informed her chosen career path in academia and current drive to support students from diverse backgrounds and experiences in achieving their academic goals. In working with students directly, she tries to anticipate and automatically address the types of questions students might be afraid to ask or not know how to ask, an approach that, in-part, earned D’Antonio a recent OSU University Day Award for Faculty Teaching Excellence. Her experience also made her more resourceful and strengthened her problem-solving and interpersonal skills.
“Navigating unfamiliar systems and figuring things out independently…translates well when working on challenging research questions,” she said. “My experiences have strengthened my interpersonal skills, and I can effectively communicate with individuals from various and diverse backgrounds – another skill that is important both personally and professionally in my research in outdoor recreation.”
Monroe also noted that blending academic work with creative resilience and using art and writing to process experiences helps build bridges between cultural background and scientific research. This approach was vital to supporting well-being, and a way to navigate and question barriers encountered in academia.
“Often, sharing this journey invites sympathy rather than opportunity, as though these complexities define my limits instead of my potential,” Monroe said. “Resilience isn’t an invitation for pity; it’s a way of making space for possibility.”
Resources for First-Generation Students:
Are you a first-generation college student considering a degree at Oregon State? The College of Forestry and OSU have many resources to help you succeed. Contact the admissions coordinator for the College of Forestry, or learn more about campus-wide programs via OSU First.
