Entering a new environment requires a great deal of courage. College students experience this feeling each fall, balancing new classes, a social life, and, oftentimes, adjusting to a new city.
About a third of college freshmen nationwide are first-generation college students, according to East Central College. These students are the first in their families to attend a four-year program at a university.
Missouri State sophomore Ella Hayes, studying biology, is the first in her family to attend a program directly after high school.
“There was no one to tell me how to do certain things. a lot of financial aspects I had to do myself… figuring out the way of college life, I didn’t have any mentors,” Hayes says.
Courage can be defined in many ways. Freshman Bella Jones views showing courage as spreading kindness to her fellow classmates while studying theater education.
“I want to make sure that everybody feels like they have a space to be loved and wanted,” Jones said.
Bella Kamler, a Junior studying physiology, has a chronic illness. She sees being courageous as showing up to class when she feels like she can’t get up in the morning.
“Courage means being able to do something that you might not think you’re able to do, but you’re still pushed through, and you’re attacking anything,” said Kamler.
Courage can also be defined as persevering in difficult times.
“Being able to will yourself to do something, because you know you should do it, even if there are other factors in your life that are making you not want to,” Hayes said.
