• Apply
  • Archives
  • NewsWatch
  • Classifieds
  • Multimedia
    • Ole Miss in Puerto Rico
    • Campus Protests
    • The Queen of Marks
    • Meet Aubrey Armstrong, a Real Champion and Local Celebrity
    • Mississippi voters passed Initiative 65. What’s next?
    • One year later: COVID-19 at Ole Miss
    • “It’s Just Not Fair”: One Woman’s Fight For Access to Community Water
    • A way with words
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
No Result
View All Result
The Daily Mississippian
  • News
    • All
    • Associated Student Body
    Is the university getting closer to a cap on admissions?

    Is the university getting closer to a cap on admissions?

    University cuts support for Oxford Pride

    University cuts support for Oxford Pride

    ASB expands legislative council, elects Wesley Templet president pro tempore

    ASB expands legislative council, elects Wesley Templet president pro tempore

    What goes into making Commencement happen for 5,500 graduates?

    What goes into making Commencement happen for 5,500 graduates?

    Stamps Impact Prize awarded to 15 students

    Stamps Impact Prize awarded to 15 students

    MPower sets on a new path amid low attendance

    MPower sets on a new path amid low attendance

  • Sports
    • All
    • Game Recap
    House v. NCAA settlements gets approved, universities can now directly pay athletes

    House v. NCAA settlements gets approved, universities can now directly pay athletes

    Ole Miss Softball takes series against Missouri

    Ole Miss Softball advances to World Series for first time in program history

    Ole Miss Baseball wins big at home against UT Martin

    Ole Miss Baseball wins big at home against UT Martin

    Ole Miss Baseball falters on the road against in-state rival

    Ole Miss Baseball falters on the road against in-state rival

    Ole Miss Softball dominates Rocket City Softball Showcase

    Ole Miss Softball battles through SEC Tournament

    Ole Miss softball falls to No. 1 Tennessee

    Ole Miss softball falls to No. 1 Tennessee

  • Arts & Culture
    Seniors cement their campus legacy with a brick

    Seniors cement their campus legacy with a brick

    Student photographers capture picture-perfect graduation moments

    Student photographers capture picture-perfect graduation moments

    Julien Baker & TORRES ‘send a prayer’ to Oxford

    Julien Baker & TORRES ‘send a prayer’ to Oxford

    Double Decker 28 rocks the Square

    Double Decker 28 rocks the Square

    Grove trees cared for by the Department of Landscaping Services. Photo courtesy: Jillian Russell

    An ode to campus trees and those who care for them

    ‘Sinners’ falls flat on first watch

    ‘Sinners’ falls flat on first watch

  • Opinion
    • All
    • Ask a Philosopher
    • Diary of a Black Girl
    • From The Editorial Board
    • Lavender Letters
    • Letters to the editor
    lavender letters graphic, a purple envelope with a purple letter, "lavender letters" is written in bold black font on the letter

    Lavender Letters: senior sign-off

    Diary of a Black Girl: senior sign-off

    Diary of a Black Girl: senior sign-off

    Opinion: How to avoid summertime sadness

    Opinion: How to avoid summertime sadness

    Ask a Philosopher: How do I quell my public speaking fears?

    Ask a Philosopher: Why do other people not understand me?

    A farewell from Opinion Editor Justice Rose

    A farewell from Opinion Editor Justice Rose

    Why evangelical Christians need to feel the heat on climate change

    Why evangelical Christians need to feel the heat on climate change

  • Special Projects
    • All
    • It's a Whole New Ball Game
    • Jordan Center Symposium
    • Rising Tides & Temperatures

    Jordan Center debuts with symposium addressing impact of social media, AI on democracy

    Richard Lui: News media must not make same mistakes with AI that it did with social media

    Elise Jordan: Artificial Intelligence will completely transform world

    Elise Jordan: Artificial Intelligence will completely transform world

    danah boyd: Journalism connects people in a healthy social fabric

    danah boyd: Journalism connects people in a healthy social fabric

    Meetali Jain holds Big Tech accountable

    Meetali Jain holds Big Tech accountable

    Dana Milbank asks, ‘Can free press survive the Trump era?’

    Dana Milbank asks, ‘Can free press survive the Trump era?’

  • Print / e-Editions
  • About Us
    • Applications
    • Advertise
      • Advertise with Us
      • Classifieds
    • Contact
    • Editorial Board
    • Policies
    • Daily Mississippian Staff 2025-26
  • News
    • All
    • Associated Student Body
    Is the university getting closer to a cap on admissions?

    Is the university getting closer to a cap on admissions?

    University cuts support for Oxford Pride

    University cuts support for Oxford Pride

    ASB expands legislative council, elects Wesley Templet president pro tempore

    ASB expands legislative council, elects Wesley Templet president pro tempore

    What goes into making Commencement happen for 5,500 graduates?

    What goes into making Commencement happen for 5,500 graduates?

    Stamps Impact Prize awarded to 15 students

    Stamps Impact Prize awarded to 15 students

    MPower sets on a new path amid low attendance

    MPower sets on a new path amid low attendance

  • Sports
    • All
    • Game Recap
    House v. NCAA settlements gets approved, universities can now directly pay athletes

    House v. NCAA settlements gets approved, universities can now directly pay athletes

    Ole Miss Softball takes series against Missouri

    Ole Miss Softball advances to World Series for first time in program history

    Ole Miss Baseball wins big at home against UT Martin

    Ole Miss Baseball wins big at home against UT Martin

    Ole Miss Baseball falters on the road against in-state rival

    Ole Miss Baseball falters on the road against in-state rival

    Ole Miss Softball dominates Rocket City Softball Showcase

    Ole Miss Softball battles through SEC Tournament

    Ole Miss softball falls to No. 1 Tennessee

    Ole Miss softball falls to No. 1 Tennessee

  • Arts & Culture
    Seniors cement their campus legacy with a brick

    Seniors cement their campus legacy with a brick

    Student photographers capture picture-perfect graduation moments

    Student photographers capture picture-perfect graduation moments

    Julien Baker & TORRES ‘send a prayer’ to Oxford

    Julien Baker & TORRES ‘send a prayer’ to Oxford

    Double Decker 28 rocks the Square

    Double Decker 28 rocks the Square

    Grove trees cared for by the Department of Landscaping Services. Photo courtesy: Jillian Russell

    An ode to campus trees and those who care for them

    ‘Sinners’ falls flat on first watch

    ‘Sinners’ falls flat on first watch

  • Opinion
    • All
    • Ask a Philosopher
    • Diary of a Black Girl
    • From The Editorial Board
    • Lavender Letters
    • Letters to the editor
    lavender letters graphic, a purple envelope with a purple letter, "lavender letters" is written in bold black font on the letter

    Lavender Letters: senior sign-off

    Diary of a Black Girl: senior sign-off

    Diary of a Black Girl: senior sign-off

    Opinion: How to avoid summertime sadness

    Opinion: How to avoid summertime sadness

    Ask a Philosopher: How do I quell my public speaking fears?

    Ask a Philosopher: Why do other people not understand me?

    A farewell from Opinion Editor Justice Rose

    A farewell from Opinion Editor Justice Rose

    Why evangelical Christians need to feel the heat on climate change

    Why evangelical Christians need to feel the heat on climate change

  • Special Projects
    • All
    • It's a Whole New Ball Game
    • Jordan Center Symposium
    • Rising Tides & Temperatures

    Jordan Center debuts with symposium addressing impact of social media, AI on democracy

    Richard Lui: News media must not make same mistakes with AI that it did with social media

    Elise Jordan: Artificial Intelligence will completely transform world

    Elise Jordan: Artificial Intelligence will completely transform world

    danah boyd: Journalism connects people in a healthy social fabric

    danah boyd: Journalism connects people in a healthy social fabric

    Meetali Jain holds Big Tech accountable

    Meetali Jain holds Big Tech accountable

    Dana Milbank asks, ‘Can free press survive the Trump era?’

    Dana Milbank asks, ‘Can free press survive the Trump era?’

  • Print / e-Editions
  • About Us
    • Applications
    • Advertise
      • Advertise with Us
      • Classifieds
    • Contact
    • Editorial Board
    • Policies
    • Daily Mississippian Staff 2025-26
No Result
View All Result
The Daily Mississippian
No Result
View All Result

Opinion: First-generation college students: you belong here, even when it doesn’t feel like it

Online DeskbyOnline Desk
November 7, 2019
Reading Time: 3 mins read

Today is National First-Generation College Celebration Day.

Dear first-generation college student,

As a high schooler, I wanted nothing more than a way out of my hometown. For hours upon hours, I would sit at the kitchen table crafting scholarship essays, crunching the numbers and stumbling through FAFSA. Despite being at the top of my class, I only applied to state schools and community colleges within a three-hour drive. No one had told me not to. Or rather, no one had told me to aim just a little bit higher. My inherited small town mindset had won out. 

Perhaps you can relate.

It was not until I was fully moved into my dorm that I realized most students did not fill out the FAFSA on their own or attend orientation on their own. Never before had I seen such affluence concentrated in one place. If an unexpected $500 expense would send half of Americans into debt, then how could my peers afford thousands of dollars a semester on sororities and fraternities? All of my money went to simply existing and saving. Even if there were a desire to fit into this lifestyle, there was no room in my budget or calendar, and I had no intentions of compromising my upward mobility. I questioned whether or not I belonged on such a campus. 

Maybe you experienced this as well.

Quickly, I came to realize that I could no longer consult my family — my greatest advocates — for daily life advice. They could not help me navigate internships, relationships with professors and simple tasks like email etiquette. It was no fault of their own, nor mine, that their kind words of encouragement could not translate in this overwhelmingly upper-middle class environment. 

I am sure you understand. 

Now a junior, I am incredibly grateful for my identity as a first-generation student and the unique perspective that it has granted me. At first, I believed that I should fit at the university, but now I am quite confident that the university should fit the needs of its students, first-generation students included. Rather than asking ourselves, “Do I belong here?” let us ask instead, “Why is there a lack of economic diversity here?” 

When I feel self-doubt creep in, I remind myself that imposter syndrome is very real and dangerous. So is the “hidden curriculum,” the unspoken rules of this very particular game that all students must play. It has only been through frank conversations with professors and mentors that gaps in my knowledge of this space has been filled in. 

Over Thanksgiving break, I will return to the same kitchen table where I worked three years ago. This time, instead of working on college applications, I will be studying for this semester’s final exams with a similar fervor. Soon enough, I will begin applying to graduate schools, and I am confident that this time, my inherited fears will not inhibit me. 

I hope yours will not inhibit you. 

Some of you will return home to your families for the first time since the beginning of the semester. Let seeing your parents, grandparents and siblings serve as a reminder of why you sought a degree in the first place. Think of the efforts they put in for you to get here. Share with your younger siblings the excitement of exploring a strange, new town and gaining new perspectives. 

First-gen student, continue to make your space here –– especially when this space was not created for you. You earned it. 

Ainsley Ash is a junior public policy leadership major from Meridian, Mississippi.

In Case You Missed It

House v. NCAA settlements gets approved, universities can now directly pay athletes

House v. NCAA settlements gets approved, universities can now directly pay athletes

1 month ago
Ole Miss Softball takes series against Missouri

Ole Miss Softball advances to World Series for first time in program history

1 month ago
Ole Miss Baseball wins big at home against UT Martin

Ole Miss Baseball wins big at home against UT Martin

2 months ago
Is the university getting closer to a cap on admissions?

Is the university getting closer to a cap on admissions?

2 months ago
Ole Miss Baseball falters on the road against in-state rival

Ole Miss Baseball falters on the road against in-state rival

2 months ago
Ole Miss Softball dominates Rocket City Softball Showcase

Ole Miss Softball battles through SEC Tournament

2 months ago

Opinion: First-generation college students: you belong here, even when it doesn’t feel like it

Online DeskbyOnline Desk
November 7, 2019
Reading Time: 3 mins read

Today is National First-Generation College Celebration Day.

Dear first-generation college student,

As a high schooler, I wanted nothing more than a way out of my hometown. For hours upon hours, I would sit at the kitchen table crafting scholarship essays, crunching the numbers and stumbling through FAFSA. Despite being at the top of my class, I only applied to state schools and community colleges within a three-hour drive. No one had told me not to. Or rather, no one had told me to aim just a little bit higher. My inherited small town mindset had won out. 

Perhaps you can relate.

It was not until I was fully moved into my dorm that I realized most students did not fill out the FAFSA on their own or attend orientation on their own. Never before had I seen such affluence concentrated in one place. If an unexpected $500 expense would send half of Americans into debt, then how could my peers afford thousands of dollars a semester on sororities and fraternities? All of my money went to simply existing and saving. Even if there were a desire to fit into this lifestyle, there was no room in my budget or calendar, and I had no intentions of compromising my upward mobility. I questioned whether or not I belonged on such a campus. 

Maybe you experienced this as well.

Quickly, I came to realize that I could no longer consult my family — my greatest advocates — for daily life advice. They could not help me navigate internships, relationships with professors and simple tasks like email etiquette. It was no fault of their own, nor mine, that their kind words of encouragement could not translate in this overwhelmingly upper-middle class environment. 

I am sure you understand. 

Now a junior, I am incredibly grateful for my identity as a first-generation student and the unique perspective that it has granted me. At first, I believed that I should fit at the university, but now I am quite confident that the university should fit the needs of its students, first-generation students included. Rather than asking ourselves, “Do I belong here?” let us ask instead, “Why is there a lack of economic diversity here?” 

When I feel self-doubt creep in, I remind myself that imposter syndrome is very real and dangerous. So is the “hidden curriculum,” the unspoken rules of this very particular game that all students must play. It has only been through frank conversations with professors and mentors that gaps in my knowledge of this space has been filled in. 

Over Thanksgiving break, I will return to the same kitchen table where I worked three years ago. This time, instead of working on college applications, I will be studying for this semester’s final exams with a similar fervor. Soon enough, I will begin applying to graduate schools, and I am confident that this time, my inherited fears will not inhibit me. 

I hope yours will not inhibit you. 

Some of you will return home to your families for the first time since the beginning of the semester. Let seeing your parents, grandparents and siblings serve as a reminder of why you sought a degree in the first place. Think of the efforts they put in for you to get here. Share with your younger siblings the excitement of exploring a strange, new town and gaining new perspectives. 

First-gen student, continue to make your space here –– especially when this space was not created for you. You earned it. 

Ainsley Ash is a junior public policy leadership major from Meridian, Mississippi.

In Case You Missed It

House v. NCAA settlements gets approved, universities can now directly pay athletes

House v. NCAA settlements gets approved, universities can now directly pay athletes

1 month ago
Ole Miss Softball takes series against Missouri

Ole Miss Softball advances to World Series for first time in program history

1 month ago
Ole Miss Baseball wins big at home against UT Martin

Ole Miss Baseball wins big at home against UT Martin

2 months ago
Is the university getting closer to a cap on admissions?

Is the university getting closer to a cap on admissions?

2 months ago
Ole Miss Baseball falters on the road against in-state rival

Ole Miss Baseball falters on the road against in-state rival

2 months ago
Ole Miss Softball dominates Rocket City Softball Showcase

Ole Miss Softball battles through SEC Tournament

2 months ago

Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube
Mississippi Press Association
Sign up for our weekly newsletter!
  • News
  • Sports
  • Arts & Culture
  • Opinion
  • Special Projects
  • Print / e-Editions
  • About Us
    • Applications
    • Advertise
      • Advertise with Us
      • Classifieds
    • Contact
    • Editorial Board
    • Policies
    • Daily Mississippian Staff 2025-26

All Rights Reserved to S. Gale Denley Student Media Center 2019

Republish this article

Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Unless otherwise noted, you can republish most of The Daily Mississippian’s stories for free under a Creative Commons license.

For digital publications:
Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the HTML code and paste it into your Content Management System (CMS).
Editorial cartoons and photo essays are not included under the Creative Commons license and therefore do not have the "Republish This Story" button option. To learn more about our cartoon syndication services, click here.
You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style.
You can’t sell or syndicate our stories.
Any website our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization.
If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @thedailymississippian on Facebook and @thedm_news on X (formerly Twitter).

For print publications:
You have to credit The Daily Mississippian. We prefer “Author Name, The Daily Mississippian” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by The Daily Mississippian” and include our website, thedmonline.com.
You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style.
You cannot republish our editorial cartoons, photographs, illustrations or graphics without specific permission (contact our managing editor Michael Guidry for more information). To learn more about our cartoon syndication services, click here.
Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories.
You can’t sell or syndicate our stories.
You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection.
Any website our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization.
If you have any other questions, contact the Student Media Center at Ole Miss.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sports
  • Arts & Culture
  • Opinion
  • Special Projects
  • Print / e-Editions
  • About Us
    • Applications
    • Advertise
      • Advertise with Us
      • Classifieds
    • Contact
    • Editorial Board
    • Policies
    • Daily Mississippian Staff 2025-26

All Rights Reserved to S. Gale Denley Student Media Center 2019

-
00:00
00:00

Queue

Update Required Flash plugin
-
00:00
00:00