Our Stories – First2 Network

Cinthia Pacheco, Ph.D.

Assistant Director, Office of Undergraduate Research at West Virginia University

“I am a first-generation and I can make a difference”. When I heard this from a group of students during the 2021 First2 Network Convening, it brought me back to my first years in College. At that time, as a first-generation student, I couldn’t have been more scared. The feeling of not belonging to that place, which no one had prepared me for, was overwhelming. It was when I met other students who, like me, were also the first in their families to go to College, that the feeling began to wear off. Being part of that small community encouraged me to seek opportunities, which ended up shaping my whole career. During my college years, I got a scholarship to participate in undergraduate research and since then, a new world of opportunities has opened to me. After getting my degree in Dentistry, Masters and PhD. in Biological Sciences I started my career as a University Professor in my home country, Brazil. Today, as an Assistant Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at WVU and part of the First2 Network I seek to create opportunities to engage students in research, particularly for those who are underrepresented and first-generation. Participating in research experiences will have a huge impact in their lives, just as it did for me. Paraphrasing the students from First2 Network, I can say today that I am a first-generation and I am making a difference!

Ashlea Krasňanský, First2 Student Participant

Mathmatics, communication studies, and digital humanities student, Marshall University

Ashlea presented at the American Studies Association’s international conference in Montreal, Canada and wrote the following about her experience there…”This opportunity gave me the chance to contribute to the positive change of the narrative surrounding our state and the Appalachian region. Additionally, I was given the immense opportunity to represent student voices on an international level – proving to many that the first step to deconstructing barriers of persistence and success starts with the integration of students in that work. Lastly, I felt that I gained an immeasurable amount of insight into the world of community and program development as well as advanced my DEIAB skills; I look forward to applying this knowledge to my future leadership roles in the First2 Network.”…

Ashlea first became involved with the First2 Network in 2019 when she participated in a summer immersion program. She presented at the American Studies Association’s international conference in Montreal, Canada and wrote the following about her experience there:

“I was ecstatic when my proposal, “An Overview of the First2 Network in West Virginia,” was accepted into the American Studies Association’s International Conference to be held in Montreal, Canada from November 2nd to 5th. I was also immensely humbled with the First2 Network’s unwavering support and belief in my ability to fairly represent our collective efforts to deconstructing the barriers of persistence for first-generation, rural, and underrepresented students, like myself. Namely, Sue Ann Heatherly, Samantha Mitchell, Sarah Riley, Erica Harvey, Margaret Falletta, Heather Arnett, Brigid Brown, Madge Vosteen, Juliana Serafin, and many more amazing professionals were essential in helping me to prepare for and finance this outreach and development opportunity.

During my time in Montreal, I discovered that I was one of the only undergraduate students to present at this conference; I also happened to be the only person from West Virginia to present. In response to realizing my exclusivity, I felt anxious and pressured to fairly represent my home state of West Virginia, Marshall University, the First2 Network, and the undergraduate student body of the nation. Admittingly, I also felt a strong twinge in which I can only accredit to imposter syndrome – a feeling that I was way out of my league. This was an entirely different, professional realm than I was used to; most of my prior work had been located within the Appalachian region.

Whilst sitting on the window nook of my hotel room and eating a silent dinner on the eve of my presentation, I began to reflect on my time with the First2 Network. The half decade worth of mentors and mentees – equally as influential on me – reminded me that I am an integral part of the network. By further realizing some of the biases I still held towards myself, I was not only able to trust those who had seen my ability to a greater extent but to also trust myself more. From that point, I made sure that each person in every session I attended knew I was an undergraduate West Virginian student, and I was proud of it. It felt liberating to own the very labels that once oppressed me.

This opportunity gave me the chance to contribute to the positive change of the narrative surrounding our state and the Appalachian region. Additionally, I was given the immense opportunity to represent student voices on an international level – proving to many that the first step to deconstructing barriers of persistence and success starts with the integration of students in that work. Lastly, I felt that I gained an immeasurable amount of insight into the world of community and program development as well as advanced my DEIAB skills; I look forward to applying this knowledge to my future leadership roles in the First2 Network.

Overall, it was my high honor to present on the amazing work coming from the network and represent the even more amazing people who I work with to create positive systems change in the higher education environment of West Virginia.”

Rachel King, First2 Student Director

Physics and Computer Science student, West Virginia University

Rachel presented on the student panel at a First2 Network Conference and spoke about how that experience was memorable for her because, “it wasn’t even just like being at the conference itself, but sort of like the culmination of being in a place where I’m able to present to a big group of people. In high school, I was very shy and then at the conference, I’m in this room in front of mostly professors from all these institutions that I’ve never met before and I was able to present confidently to them; and I think First2 has really helped me develop that.”…

Rachel learned from her First2 Summer Immersion experience at the Green Bank Observatory in 2021 that she wanted to do astronomy research and she is planning to pursue a graduate program in astronomy in the future.

Rachel has been interested in science for as long as she can remember; “I was a little kid and I had this pink telescope that we used to look at the moon.” She attended the International Pulsar Timing Array Meeting for two weeks in Australia after learning about the opportunity through her research mentor. Rachel said that, “at the time, I had never been on a plane before, but I was like, ‘I have to say, yes, I’m going, that’s amazing.’” She spoke about how the first week of the conference focused on teaching related to foundational astronomy and pulsars and that even though this content was geared towards graduate students she learned a lot from this experience. She discussed how the second week, “all these collaborators from across the globe shared their up-to-date data and projects that they’re working on; and I think in addition to learning so much more about my potential field of study in the future, one of the highlights was getting to meet and make friends with graduate students, learn more about what their experience is like and sort of see that it is genuinely what I want to go into.”

When asked what advice she might offer to students planning to major in STEM fields, she said, “Don’t worry about feeling imposter syndrome. Everyone feels it, I even feel it now, I’m kind of at the top of where I could be as an undergraduate in astronomy research at this point and I still feel like I see all the other undergraduate students and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m not doing nearly as well as they are’ when I know objectively, that’s not true.”

Heather Arnett, Ph.D.

First2 Network Program Coordinator

I’m normally quite shy when it comes to talking about myself. I am not sure if that is something that comes with the territory of having significant struggles growing up or perhaps a combination of a more introverted personality type but today I’m going to share a little bit of myself because it’s important that we all know we are not alone (today and every day). Like so many of you I am also a first-generation student. My parents separated when I was quite young and I was raised by my single mother, who worked multiple jobs sometimes. I can still remember her struggling to get a job when my parents first separated since she had not been working for so long. She was my first model though, and my first manta: we can do better for ourselves and this is what it looks like-GROWTH IS NOT LINEAR. When I first applied to University it was very difficult to navigate. My high school was very excited that I even graduated and was so excited to tell me that I went “against all statistics” so many times all I did was cry by graduation and the guidance counselors were not very helpful beyond that in finding schools or scholarships. Like many of you, I ended up going to a school that was fairly near home (within 2 hours) since I often went home to be with and help my little family as needed.

Kaleb Cole, First2 Student Director

Computer Science student, West Virginia University
Institute of Technology (WVU Tech)

Kaleb was first introduced to the First2 Network by Dr. Rai, a professor at WVU Tech who was part of bringing the First2 program to their campus, who encouraged Kaleb to apply for their summer immersion program. As part of that program Kaleb learned AI and participated in other lectures related to computer science. “I really enjoyed the program and I still talk to people from there to this day,” Kaleb said. “That brought me right into the school year where I joined the First2 club and made a connection with them.”…

When asked what inspired his interest in technology, Kaleb said he has loved technology ever since he was a little kid and then in high school had the opportunity to attend the MidOhio Valley Technical Institute. He said his instructor there, Mr. Lopez, was “phenomenal; he helped me so much to get me to where I am today.” While attending that program Kaleb learned about computer hardware systems, built his own computer and earned a TestOut PC Pro Certification which is a nationally recognized certification. In his senior year of high school, he was the only person to ever take a computer programming course through that program.

Kaleb served as the President of his First2 Campus Club and felt proud that this club was voted the best club on campus for two years in a row. He says the club is, “active on campus in terms of doing…events that [bring] faculty together with students.”