3 Questions for First-Generation Students
November 8 is National First-Generation College Celebration Day! A first-generation college student is the first in their immediate family to attend college—a major accomplishment! We celebrated by interviewing two first-generation students at Chatham, Daniela Beck and Caiti Worwood. Read on to learn more about their post-college career plans and advice for incoming first-generation students.
DANIELA BECK,
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEMS ‘19
Name: Daniela Beck
Major: Management Information Systems ‘19
Hometown: Irwin, Pennsylvania
How does it feel to be the first member of your family to attend college?
As one of the first in my family to attend college, I feel extremely humbled and honored to have had this opportunity. Although it has been hard at times to figure out the financial aid process, I have been exposed to a variety of viewpoints and resources I may not have otherwise encountered.
What do you hope to do after you graduate from Chatham?
After I graduate from Chatham this December, I will be starting a recent graduate full-time position at Microsoft HQ in Redmond, Washington, working as a Business Program Manager.
What piece of advice would you share with incoming first-generation college students?
I would advise incoming first-generation college students to believe in themselves! It will be difficult to manage all the newness, but a positive attitude will get you far.
CAITI WORWOOD, APPLIED DATA SCIENCE ANALYTICS ‘21
Name: Caiti Worwood
Major: Applied Data Science Analytics ‘21
Hometown: Caldwell, Idaho
How does it feel to be the first member of your family to attend college?
To be the first member of my family to attend college makes me feel like I am setting an example for my younger brothers. I can now be a resource for them as they think about going further with their education. I also feel accomplished for being able to make it through the process of getting to college without the assistance.
What do you hope to do after you graduate from Chatham?
I hope to be working within the world of data science analytics developing my own machine learning methods and programs. My passion lies in baseball, so my dream is to work for the MLB headquarters as a data scientist.
What piece of advice would you share with incoming first-generation college students?
One piece of advice I would share is to ask the questions you have. I have always been stubborn and struggle to ask for help but, looking back, I wish I would’ve just asked more questions. Answers get you closer to preparedness, while questions lead to hesitation.