As a first-generation student it has been difficult to navigate things such as how to deal with federal verification and the FAFSA or getting advice from my family on how I should go about picking a field of study. I have, however, been able to find a community with a mixture of identities. Hearing those experiences and stories has allowed me to draw strength and develop resiliency and grit.

Tristan Schmidt
Major(s): African American Studies; Minor: Human Relations; Certificate in Critical Cultural Competence
The University of Iowa