First Generation Students

First-generation college student Jessica Sansarran is turning her passion for the space program into a career as a remote broadcast intern with the Goddard Space Flight Center.

Chris Kirschner, B.S. Journalism 2014, is the Atlanta Hawks beat reporter for The Athletic.

Isaiah Arias overcame the passing of his mother in the third grade, tending to his aunt with Down syndrome and calling various Miami motels home throughout middle school to become a passionate student with big dreams.

Cindy Jara was only 10 years old when she first walked onto the campus of the University of Florida. The bright-eyed 5th-grader gaped at the tall buildings and tried out the twin bed in her sister Diana’s dorm room, eagerly taking in every detail. “We were helping move my sister…

By Lenore Devore, B.S. Journalism 1984 As a young girl, Roberta Oluwaseun Roberts, B.S. Public Relations 2012, loved writing and speaking. She started writing a book, then put that on hold — but fully plans to return to it one day. She had more pressing matters ahead of her. As…

by Sofia Arriaga, Journalism 2020 We often use the phrase “It takes a village to raise a child,” to describe upbringing. However, one local man built his own village by uniting those around him and creating a community everywhere he went.     Mohamad Merilan went from attending D-ranked public schools without the promise of…