First-generation faculty member tells freshman class they are not alone in LSUS journey

First-generation faculty member tells freshman class they are not alone in LSUS journey

SHREVEPORT - Dr. Adrienne Davis asked the freshman class that filled the LSU Shreveport Theatre on Friday to raise their hands if they are a first-generation student.

Roughly half if not more of freshmen hands shot up.

Davis then turned to the assembled faculty that were clad in their academic regalia the same question.

About 40-50 percent of the hands raised.

Davis wanted the audience at Freshman Convocation to know that faculty and staff at LSUS understand the delicate dance that first-generation students undertake. First-generation students are ones in which neither parent have a four-year college degree and more likely to not understand college lingo like "syllabus," "matriculation," and "FAFSA."

"For those of you that are first-generation students, congratulations because you're literally changing the trajectory of your family's story," said Davis, who teaches in the health and human performance department. "You are going to face challenges, and you will feel some discomfort.

"This is one of my favorite quotes - discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life. We want you to have a meaningful life, but we also want you to know that you are not alone."

Davis took a few seconds at the beginning of her address to marvel at the fact that she's standing on a stage in front of students.

The "Dr." in front of her name is new, having completed a doctor of education in health professions.

But the fact that Davis has any college degrees (she has three, two from LSUS) is a statistical anomaly.

With her chill, "West Coast, Best Coast" vibes, Davis explained that she supported herself from the age of 17 and tried college out a little later in life.

That unfamiliar college lingo reaffirmed the doubt she already had about college, and it pushed her to drop out before she ever really started.

"I didn't want to live in poverty the way my family had," Davis said. "College was always the goal, even though I'd never seen anyone do college before.

"I tried some city colleges at first, and I always felt like I didn't belong. People would use words and acronyms that I didn't understand. I was too embarrassed to ask, and I just stopped going back to class."

Asking for help is one key indicator of successful college students, especially for first-generation students who don't have a family member who's gone through the college experience.

Davis found her way to Bossier Parish Community College and then to LSUS, where she said a professor (Dr. Helen Wise) told her that she was smart.

"I haven't really heard that a lot as a kid that I can remember," Davis said. "Or maybe I did hear it, but I just didn't believe it.

"It wasn't until I came to LSUS that I finally felt like I really belonged in college."

Davis identified Dr. Jill Rush-Kolodzey in her public health masters program as another mentor, who also happens to serve as department chair.

"For those of you carving a new path for yourselves, those of you who are first-gen, you're going to need people in your corner," said Davis, who in turn has been in her students' corner as the university is experiencing an influx of graduates entering professional schools like pharmacy and physical therapy. "Sometimes all you need is one person who thinks you're smart or creative or cool.

"So find someone on campus, a professor or a mentor, who you feel like you can connect with. Someone you think will get you. Go to their office hours, introduce yourself, ask them questions. Ask them the questions I was too scared to ask. I love it when students visit me - it makes my day."

Chancellor Dr. Robert Smith, also a first-generation student, remembers the professor who helped him overcome his obstacles.

"I can remember with clarity the day I hit my big bump in the road," Smith said, who became an accomplished math professor and author of 10 calculus textbooks. "And I began to wonder whether I really belonged in college.

"After all, no one in my family had ever gone to college before. Why would I be any different? I was lucky to have a professor take me under his wing and helped me to understand how I could learn more effectively, which is not at all what I had done throughout high school."

Finding a way to connect - with faculty, with peers, with student support services like counseling, tutoring and advisors - exponentially boosts student success rates.

LSUS is celebrating 72 percent of its most recent cohort persisting to their second year with 65 percent of the overall cohort returning for their third year. Historically, that's roughly 10 percent and 20 percent higher, respectively, than the university's typical rates before LSUS overhauled its student support system.

"At LSUS, we care about your success in the classroom, your mental health and wellness, whether or not you have enough to eat and if you can see a doctor when you're sick," Davis said. "We care about what happens after you graduate.

"We can help you navigate any barriers you might have to your success."