Name:
L. Angie Ohler
Position Title or Student Involvements:
Associate Dean for Content and Digital Initiatives
What degrees have you obtained or are working on?
Bachelor of Arts; Anthropology/Sociology/International Studies; Westminster College Masters; Anthropology; American University Masters; Library and Information Science; Catholic University
What does it mean to you to be a first-generation student/graduate?
It meant opportunity, a chance to make my passion into a career.
Why is being a first-generation student/graduate important to you?
It’s never left me, that feeling of entering another world, one that was strange and at times bewildering. I had moments that I wondered if I’d made the wrong decision to leave my family behind, attend college, take a step away from everything I’d known. I worried a lot about fitting in until I discovered others who felt the same way, and then it dawned on me that fitting in wasn’t the goal. I needed to define success for myself, to be who I wanted to be, not what others thought I should be, and I’ve never looked back.
What piece of advice would you give to first-generation students?
Persist. It will be hard to straddle two worlds, the one you were born into and the one you are pursuing as a first generation graduate. They will not always be easy to reconcile. Find your own truth and believe in yourself. You are worth it.