Name:
Bonita Williams Magby
Position Title or Student Involvements:
Human Resources Partner; Walton College of Business
What degrees have you obtained or are working on?
Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems; Louisiana Tech University; Ruston, Louisiana
What does it mean to you to be a first-generation student/graduate?
My father barely had a high school diploma, my mother did not graduate from college. My parents both had honorable professions: my dad was a truck-driver and my mom drove a school bus. I saw my parents and older four siblings struggling financially and with so many aspects of their lives. I knew that an education would make a difference in my life. Being the youngest – my parents were able to better support my desire to attend college. It has not only impacted my life but the lives of my children and their families. All of our children were taught from the beginning that getting an education (whether it’s a college degree or a trade certification) will make a difference in their future. They knew this was true because they saw the difference it made for us compared to other extended family members.
Why is being a first-generation student/graduate important to you?
It set the tone and expectation for our children and our posterity.
What piece of advice would you give to first-generation students?
DON’T GIVE UP! It’s hard, and at times you feel like you can’t go on. The sacrifices you make today are SO worth it! Talk to successful people who were first-gen students/graduates. Get pointers on how they endured. Find a mentor that can give you encouragement.
Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself that you feel is important for people to know about you?
I earned my degree in Management Information Systems in 1988. Soon thereafter, my husband and I started a family. By the time I entered the full-time workforce, technology had changed so much that the computer languages being used were not the ones I had learned. So, I stepped back and regrouped. I tried several career paths before landing in HR. Every time I looked for a job – it wasn’t important what degree I had, but that I had earned a degree. I have never regretted getting my degree in MIS. I believe it has helped me appreciate technology more than I would have in a different degree. Something else I think is important – my husband also worked toward getting an education. He became a Paramedic/Firefighter then was trained in Aircraft Rescue Firefighting. He earned his Associate’s degree and became a certified Fire Inspector for the State of Texas. As a Houston Firefighter – he was paid more because of the education he had earned. Out of our 9 children and in-laws: 3 have Bachelors degrees (2 pursuing Masters), one has an Associate’s degrees and is planning to return for Bachelors, 3 are attending college, one is preparing to go back to college, one is supporting a spouse that is attending college.