Although no one in my family attended college, it was always assumed I would go. So, after graduating high school in 2000, I cluelessly stumbled into my freshman year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I explored university life those first few years and luckily discovered my place in psychology. I started working in a research lab with a faculty who served as my mentor. It was his advice and guidance that helped me navigate my undergraduate career and ultimately led me to my path in academia. I earned my PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Kansas in 2011. I started my first job as a faculty at a small college in southeast Iowa where I faced a whole new set of challenges figuring out how to be a faculty member. At each step in my career, mentors were crucial to my success.

My scholarly work explores the impact of social identities (e.g., gender, race, and sexual orientation) on everyday experiences, so I know professionally and personally how challenging it can be to navigate the university as a first-gen student. This is why supporting UI first-gen students is important to me. I’ve been fortunate to have great mentors, and I hope I can use my own experience to provide knowledge and insight into the hidden world of college.