My name is Cari Anderson and I am so proud to be part of the First Gen Mentor Network at UIowa! I currently serve as the Director of Dental Counseling & Wellness Support at the College of Dentistry and an Assistant Director for University Counseling Service. My educational path included earning a BA in Psychology and a BA in Family Services from the University of Northern Iowa; moving to Iowa City and earning my Masters of Social Work from the University of Iowa and ultimately becoming an independently licensed clinical social worker and adult ADHD treatment specialist while raising a family and working full time. NONE of this came easy which is why I am so very committed to this project. I find it personally rewarding and meaningful to help first gen students navigate their way through their own unique barriers to find resources, supports and opportunities that I did not know about or that I was unaware of how to access during my educational journey. I grew up in a hard working, middle class family and I am the first female in my family to ever attend college and the first person overall in my family to ever complete a master's program and obtain professional licensure. Although supportive, my family struggled to understand my experiences in both my undergraduate and graduate programs and thus were unable to help overcome some of the barriers I faced. I also was unaware of scholarship opportunities, financial supports and programs designed to help non-traditional students and this has impacted my financial picture to this day given the amount of loans I took out to make it to my goals. I remember feeling very alone at times and worried on many occasions if I would be able to finish what I had started when I returned to college as nontraditional student in 2012. I am aware that despite these challenges, I have achieved professional success and have been afforded many professional development and educational opportunities which I am determined to never take for granted. My position as a mental health practitioner, wellness program coordinator and student advocate, along with the inherent privileges I hold, give me a great platform to help first gen students walk an easier path and find ways to provide needed resources for them as they do so. I am especially invested in food insecurity needs, particularly within first generation students and have been a part of several research projects that have significantly helped me to raise awareness, create meal opportunities, develop food budgets for group settings and receive grant funding for groceries and pantry items at the College of Dentistry. I am also deeply committed to serving our first generation students that hold additional marginalized identities as these intersectionalities often result in increased risk to overall well being, higher incidence of reported mental health concerns, greater experiences of isolation and decreased sense of belonging/engagement. I am also all too aware that finding a community of support for marginalized identities, including First Gen Students, is one of the best resources we can offer as mentors. If I can be of support in your journey as a First Gen here at Iowa, please do not hesitate to reach out and say Hi! We are all in it together.