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In this episode, you will hear Amy, a financial counselor, and Melissa, an Associate Specialist in research, discuss their journey on being the first in their family to go to college.
Mayo Clinic is a unique place: the culture, the values, the people. "Mayo Clinic Employee Experiences" explores the experiences of Mayo Clinic staff as they navigate life personally and professionally. Sharing these experiences increases understanding of others and ultimately contributes to finding connections, belonging and inclusion at work.
AMY: The investment in yourself is the best investment you can make.
Narrator: In this episode, you will hear Amy, a financial counselor, and Melissa, an Associate Specialist in research, discuss their journey on being the first in their family to go to college.
MELISSA: I grew up in a very rural County in Arkansas and we grew up on a farm and were very simple and very poor to say the least. I learned a lot about nature and doing things more manual. Didn't have a lot of opportunity or exposure for formal education, but we participated in a lot of very cultural events to learn new farming skills and so there was a lot of real-world experience and education. If I think about someone pushing me it would have definitely always been my mom because she wound up going to get a technical degree in nursing when they still had those after my brother and I went to kindergarten. She had just finished that program and then shortly thereafter my father passed away when I was 13 and she would always say, “had I not gotten that bit of education and been able to go out as a nurse and work as a licensed nurse we would have never made it.” So, I think I probably heard every day “go to college”, “go to college; the only thing people can never take away from you.” She would always say, “if you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”
AMY: I grew up on a farm as well. My grandpa had an eighth-grade education, but he was the hardest working individual I have ever met, and I think that comes with the territory. You're forced into that when you don't really have other options. Both my parents dropped out of high school. They eventually went and got their GEDs and then I have an older brother who dropped out of high school as well, so I actually was the first to graduate in my family from high school in general. I went straight from high school to get a diploma in cosmetology, so I was a licensed cosmetologist for several years. I started a family, had kids and decided that I wanted more for my life and for my family and so I went back to school as an adult. I obtained my A.S. degree in individualized studies and so where that's gotten me now is going for my Bachelor's in Business Administration. I am starting with Western Governors University (WGU) doing online schooling. I've always had the drive myself to want more, do more. I've been my own biggest cheerleader, especially after I had kids because I just want what's best for me and what's best for them. But establishing the hard work ethic that I have. I grew up on a farm and at 14, I got my first job off the farm, so I've been working –
MELISSA: Me too yeah.
AMY: Usually two or three jobs since I was 14 at a time or if I'm going to school. When I went for my A.S. I was actually working two jobs as a single parent and going to school.
MELISSA: Wow. I think the farm life does contribute a lot more than people may think because it is that work ethic. That motivation was quite intrinsic, and I got the award in kindergarten for asking the most questions. I always wanted to learn. I'm curious how this changed your family life? Did it set a tone for your kids?
AMY: When you're looking for quality work, those types of employers are looking for quality people and it's not only work ethic but having a degree and advancing with that experience as well as dedication to the work. Once I got my two-year degree, it was a very important goal for me as a single parent but also adding things to your resume is always a benefit when you're looking for advancement. That's always my personality; I want to move forward; I want to grow as much as I can. I don't ever want to say stay stagnant.
MELISSA: Build, grow, design, explore, innovate.
AMY: Exactly. I think having the degree and now pursuing my bachelor's I know that that's not where I'm going to stop but that's where I am. I do have kids at home, I do have a hobby farm myself, so my kids are growing up on a farm so I'm busy, but you know I also want to take the time to dedicate to myself. The investment in yourself is the best investment you can ever make.
MELISSA: My mom actually, after I went to college, she wound up going back to get her bachelor's degree. I finished my master’s while she was doing her bachelor's and then when I enrolled in my doctoral program she said, “I think I'll get a master’s” and so I feel like we kind of turned the tables; she kept trying to keep up with me and then it became like let's see who can get more degrees. It was really neat.
AMY: From your standpoint not only has your college education impacted your life, but it seemed to also impact your mom's life.
MELISSA: She was the lifetime encourager. It was just really neat to see her grow and learn new skills.
AMY: My parents had went back for their GEDs and I remember my mom celebrating when she had gotten her GED because that was huge I mean she had a kid in high school and so times were different for her and difficult and even just obtaining that level of degree is huge. I think the more you put in and the time, energy, and effort, it is rewarding.
MELISSA: It's great the way it feels internally. It is self-gratifying.
AMY: Raising my kids on my farm my goal is to teach them a solid work ethic before anything else. I feel like you have to have some type of understanding how the world works and how to be a good human.
MELISSA: I love that.
AMY: I'm a believer in furthering one's education but I don't force it on them. I want them to know that they have options to continue their education post-high school. I have a 16-year-old so he's currently taking college courses in high school and that's his goal. When I was in high school, they talked about this PSEO post-secondary education, but no one ever explained it to me. He can basically get his two-year degree done before he's even out of high school.
MELISSA: You bring up a good point about it being generational and somewhat opportunistic because our folks didn't really have those same opportunities. When you and I were finishing up high school and those were opening up the times of anybody can go to college and all these scholarships are available and that was the goal, everybody gets a four-year degree. I think we moved into a new place now where you can custom design any career you want now.
AMY: They pushed the four-year brick and mortar building schools and now fast forward 20 years and online education is more prevalent. Even more the more vocational type of courses or hands-on jobs, mechanics, things that you don't have to go for a four-year degree, but you can make a solid living and advance your family that way too.
MELISSA: When you start offering education remotely and at cheaper costs and technical fields that are in high demand, I think it does open the door to so many first-generation college students. A few years ago, I got diagnosed with a benign brain tumor in Broca's area that controls speech comprehension, and it was resected at Mayo. After that experience it makes me more intrinsically motivated to continue learning because I know that that is going to be the best way to keep my brain healthy and keep stimulating it, challenging it, make sure to make new neural connections, utilize that plasticity for all it's worth.
AMY: You're speaking from adversity. You're going to have roadblocks that's how you overcome those roadblocks that I think makes a difference and builds you as a human being. I think always setting goals regardless of what that is always having even small goals to reach. I was just having this conversation with a friend the other day how things used to be let's say 40s 50s 60s where there weren't opportunities given to women as much at the time and then as time has progressed, there's power in the women coming forward and wanting to advance themselves not only for themselves but for their families. Independence is huge and it doesn't even matter on any gender spectrum - independence from your parents, independence from your guardians, independents from the people around you.
MELISSA: That reminds me that this is such an overquoted quote but the Nelson Mandela one “education is the only weapon by which you can truly change the world”. I see a lot of first-generation females who paved the way. I always want to be very grateful to the predecessors who made it real for the rest of everybody. The job scope now and the college programs and what they prepare you for also allow awesome careers for people who were previously not able to participate maybe because of disability or living in a rural area now we can bring everybody to the table. A diverse team improves the outcomes.
AMY: It's huge too because for me as a working parent it's important to be able to have access to gaining an education that fits my schedule.
MELISSA: The Career Investment Program (CIP) program at Mayo is quite interesting to me, and if Mayo sees it fit, I'm going to work on a second doctorate.
AMY: Go after it, girl.
MELISSA: It’s for learning's sake.
AMY: What's one thing that you would want to leave anyone listening?
MELISSA: I would always encourage people to entertain their curiosities but also creating a tribe around you that can help. I had a cohort of friends who were all going to college, so it helped to have those friends around me. I can honestly say I have intrinsic motivation, but I owe my education to the persistent efforts of a lot of folks.
AMY: I think you nailed it. Surround yourself with individuals who help motivate you because sometimes getting an education is overwhelming. What comes to my mind is don't let fear prevent you from proceeding forward.
MELISSA: It is scary, but it's not a lion and it's not going to bite you. Everything is going to be new until it's not.
AMY: I seriously feared testing. I feared all of these things that were preventing me from going forward. Open up that book because at the end of the day you have to look at the bigger picture and what do you want your end result to be. If that end result is success you have to do what you have to do to get there. I think anytime you decide to stop learning, you decide to stop growing.
One takeaway for me too is that I always want to know more. I just need to know how things work and asking questions is probably the biggest thing. Don't ever fear asking questions.
MELISSA: When I got the award in kindergarten of course I started sobbing. I was so humiliated, and my dad approached me and he was why are you crying I said, “I don't want to be pointed out”. He said, “how would you ever learn anything at all if you didn't ask a question?”
AMY: That's right.
MELISSA: I've learned over the years that sometimes some class I take or workshop seems totally irrelevant at the time but then it'll come full circle.
AMY: Keep on advancing.
MELISSA: And what a great institution to work for if you want to keep advancing because they love education at Mayo.
NARRATOR: What is your experience of being or knowing a first-generation college graduate? Share with a colleague or in the comments below.