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Campus Resources

First-Generation Stories

First-Generation Niners are at every corner. 

Take a moment to read some of these inspiring First-Generation stories submitted by students, faculty, staff, and alumni! We encourage any First-Generation Niners to share their stories for other First-Generation Niners to see and know they aren't alone. 

Share Your Story

Kevin Bailey
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Woman holding her hand up in a number one sign standing by a staircase wearing a green graduation gown and greek stole
she/her/hers
Alumni
Woman wearing a blue blazer and glasses with long black hair
she/her/hers
Senior Lecturer, Department of Biological Sciences
Black woman with brown hair smiling wearing a yellow blazer
She/Her/Hers
Staff/Alumna
Program Director, Niner Finances
Mark Colone and wife, Susan
Staff Alumnus
Development, Director of Major Gifts for the College of Arts & Architecture and the Graduate School
Women wearing dark red blazer paired with black shirt and curled black hair smiling at camera.
she/her/hers
Counseling
Faulty
Woman with red hair and round glasses smiling off to the side wearing a white tee shirt
she/her/hers
Career Center - Assistant Director of Marketing & Career Coach
Women wearing black square glasses with wavy brown hair smiling softly at the camera
she/her/hers
Undergraduate Student
Man smiling softly facing forward wearing square glasses and a suit and tie.
he/him/his
Languages and Culture Studies
Faculty
Lorenzo Hopper
Dept. of Public Health Sciences
Lecturer & Director, MPH Program
Savannah Houser
Undergraduate Student
Woman with short black hair smiling widely wearing a cheetah print long sleeve shirt
she/her/hers
Undergraduate Student
Person wearing a red winter coat and red gloves with sunglasses on, standing with ice all around them.
University Sustainability Officer
Joan Lorden PH.D.
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Sean McCloud
He / His / Him
Professor, Religious Studies
Person with short brown hair wearing a black blazer paired with a flower necklace
Undergraduate Student
Person with a beard and black tie
Undergraduate Student
Woman with straight black hair, her arms folded wearing a black blazer
she/her/hers
Graduate Student
Man with light hair leaning against concrete wall wearing a button up shirt and a black coat
he/him/his
Assistant Director of Employer Relations
Woman with curly brown hair wearing Charlotte green blazer paired with black shirt and Charlotte pin
she/her/hers
Alumni Engagement
Destini Petitt
she / her
Graduate Student
Tyler Placeres
he / him / his
Housing and Residence Life
Residence Education Coordinator
Person in green dress standing in front of four degrees
She/Her/Hers
School of Social Work in CHHS
Faculty
Woman facing the camera smiling with black hair and wearing a green and black shirt.
she/her/hers
Associate Director for Student Assistance and Support Services (SASS)
Karen Shaffer
Student Affairs
Assistant Vice Chancellor
Woman wearing pearls, glasses, and a yellow top. Her hair is in a bun and she is smiling.
She/Her/Hers
Academic Diversity and Inclusion, Assistant Director
Woman smiling with her teeth looking sideways towards to camera, she has curly black and blonde hair
she/her/hers
Office of Academic Diversity & Inclusion
Graduate Student
Woman wearing a floral orange top with straight black hair smiling and looking at the camera
she/her/hers
First Generation Student Coordinator
Sam Furr-Rogers
she/her/hers
Biological Sciences
Lecturer
Woman wearing a blue blazer and a black blouse smiling.
Belk College of Business
Dean
Catrine Tudor-Locke
College of Health and Human Services
Dean
Maylee Vazquez
Graduate Student
Photo of woman with brown and blonde locs smiling
She/Her/Hers
Office of Academic Diversity & Inclusion
Graduate Student
Person in a blue blouse with a blue necklace smiling
She/Her/Hers
Faculty
School of Social Work
family of 3 smiling with small child in center
Undergraduate/Early Entry Graduate

Wish to have your story shared? 
Share Your First-Generation Story