Colin Fitzhenry never imagined he’d be a graduate student in public health. “In high school, I told my mom I wanted to be a manager at Shop ’n Save,” he recalls. “My parents didn’t go to college, and it wasn’t something we talked about.”
That changed after a high school career test and a YouTube video about accounting as a profession. “I really enjoy numbers and always did well in math, so I started looking into accounting. I said, ‘Mom, I really want to go to college for this.’ She got wide-eyed but has always been supportive of my decisions, no matter what.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Robert Morris University and working for a year as an accountant, Fitzhenry realized he wanted a career more connected to people’s well-being. “With epidemiology, I learned I could use data to understand real health problems and do something that makes a meaningful impact,” he says.
Transitioning to college wasn’t easy. “I didn’t have anyone at home who could tell me how to fill out financial aid forms or what office hours were,” he says. “I learned to ask questions, and the staff here have been great about helping me figure things out.”
One resource for first-generation students is the First@Pitt program, which provides mentoring, events and community-building opportunities. “The program is about making sure no one feels like they have to figure college out alone,” says Karrie A. Lukin, MLIS, director of recruitment and admission at Pitt Public Health. “They connect students with mentors, faculty and program that builds confidence from the start.”
Fitzhenry credits his mentors for helping him find both confidence and community. “There are many professors here who genuinely care. They want to see you succeed, not just academically, but as a person,” he says.
“I think being a first-gen student gives you a different kind of resilience,” Fitzhenry adds. “You learn to ask questions, to keep going when things don’t make sense. That’s really what public health is about.”
That message resonates with Ada Youk, PhD, associate professor of biostatistics and health data science, director of the scho ol’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree program, and a first-generation college graduate herself. “To be honest, I didn’t even realize I was a first-gen student until I started working with undergrads here,” she says. “Then I thought, ‘wait a minute, I’m one too.’” Like today’s first-gen students, she had to figure things out on her own.
Now, as both a faculty member and parent of three college students, Youk often reflects on what first-generation students face today. “It’s so much more complicated—applications, financial aid, the Common App—all of it,” she says. “If you don’t have someone guiding you through it, it can be overwhelming.”
Youk notes that first-generation students make up about 22% of the undergraduate public health program, and the school is intentionally working to support them. “We started focusing more on first-gen students because we noticed their first-year retention was lower,” she explains. “Part of what we want to do is normalize it and show them they’re not alone, that many of us faculty and staff were first-gen too.”
Olivia Pacheco, a first-year Bachelor of Science in Public Health student from Chicago, found guidance in a local community-based college prep program. “They walked us through applications, interviews, scholarships and even FAFSA [Free Application for Federal Student Aid]. That’s how I found out about Pitt,” she says.
At first, Pacheco felt behind, but connecting with other first-generation students helped her feel grounded. “First@Pitt events have been really nice, just meeting people who understand what it’s like. It helps to have a space where you don’t feel like you’re the only one figuring things out.”
Sarah Munoz, a graduate student in Pitt’s Department of Epidemiology and the first in her Colombian family to attend college, grew up translating for her parents. “I was nine the first time I had to translate for my mom at a doctor’s appointment,” she recalls. “I didn’t understand everything myself, but I had to figure it out so she could get the care she needed.”
To help pay for college, Munoz joined ROTC—a decision that, like her early experiences interpreting for her family, shaped her interest in health communication and public health. “Seeing the gaps and challenges my family faced made me want to understand systems better and help others navigate them,” she says. “Being first-gen means I’ve learned how to find my own way, and now I want to help others find theirs.”
For Youk, that same drive to make things easier for the next generation continues to motivate her work. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” she tells students. “Even if you don’t know the answer, someone here does, and we can help you find it. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.”
Despite navigating higher education largely on their own, Fitzhenry, Pacheco and Munoz share a common thread: persistence, gratitude and a sense of purpose.
“As a first-generation student you need to try your best not to compare yourself to other people's successes,” Fitzhenry says. “You’re on your own path and it’s very important to recognize that.”
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” Pacheco adds. “It’s OK to feel nervous when you start but remember there are resources that can make college possible and help you feel supported.”
-Clare Collins
