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First-Generation
Indiana University Indianapolis
Olivia McQueen
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Olivia McQueen

My first semester here, I was afraid to ask for help, and I navigated my way to campus buildings using Google Maps. If I could go back, I would have spoken up about this and gotten connected to resources that make navigating campus easier.

Major: Organizational leadership and supervision, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology

I've always wanted to be somewhere better than I am now. I want to have a job that makes me happy and not just somewhere I go for a paycheck, and this is why I stay in college. I want to continue to learn and become a better version of myself.

My first semester here, I was afraid to ask for help, and I navigated my way to campus buildings using Google Maps. If I could go back, I would have spoken up about this and gotten connected to resources that make navigating campus easier.

My advice for other first-generation students at IUPUI is to connect with your first-year seminar mentor. My mentor was essential in helping me become integrated into campus, and if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have the job on campus that I have or have been as successful as I've been. He gave me great advice, and I listened.

I would also remind students that advisors are here to help you and ensure you graduate in four years. Trust the process. Doing so has made me much less stressed about my academics.