>> GROWING UP IN LYNDON IT WAS ALL I KNEW.
I MEAN, I DIDN'T REALLY GROW UP IN THE TOWN
I GREW UP OUT IN THE COUNTRY BY POMONA LAKE,
SO I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW ANYBODY AROUND WHERE
I LIVED SO I KIND OF JUST STUCK TO MYSELF.
I WAS OUTSIDE A LOT.
I LOVE ANIMALS, I USED TO CATCH FROGS, AND
TURTLES, AND I'D ALWAYS GO DOWN TO THE LAKE
AND WALK THE SHORE.
I WAS ABLE TO ROAM AND DO WHATEVER I WANTED.
I GUESS YOU COULD SAY IT WAS DIFFERENT THAN
MOST KID HAVE, BECAUSE MY PARENTS JUST LET
ME RUN FREE AND I JUST CAME HOME WHEN IT GOT
DARK.
MY PARENTS ADOPTED ME IN 96.
I WAS TWO, GOING ON THREE.
>> THE FIRST TIME WE MET HER WAS AT AN BRAUMS
ICE CREAM STORE IN EMPORIA.
WE KIND OF FELL IN LOVE WITH HER RIGHT AT
FIRST SO IT WASN'T HARD TO BRING HER HOME.
>> MY PARENTS AND I ARE REALLY CLOSE, WHENEVER
I GET A GOOD GRADE MY MOM CALLED EVERYBODY
IN THE FAMILY SO I'D ALWAYS HAVE ENCOURAGEMENT
FROM THEM.
MY MOM IS MY INSPIRATION.
SHE'S ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT, YOU KNOW, DON'T
STEP ON ANYBODY'S FEET.
JUST WORK HARD AND DO YOUR BEST AND GOOD THINGS
WILL COME TO U YOU.
WITH I WAS YOUNGER, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD,
AND I TAKE MEDICATION FOR IT.
BUT I HAD A REALLY HARD TIME WHEN I WAS LITTLE
FOCUSING ON THINGS.
NOT NECESSARILY GETTING IN TROUBLE ON PURPOSE,
BUT WHENEVER I'D GET BORED I'D ALWAYS FIND
A WAY TO GET IN TROUBLE NO MATTER WHAT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW I DID IT.
I HAD ONE TEACHER FOR SECOND GRADE THAT ACTUALLY
WAS THE FIRST ONE TO TAKE THE STEP AND REALIZE
THAT I WAS DIFFERENT, REALIZE THAT I WASN'T
REALLY TRYING TO GET IN TROUBLE, BUT I JUST
DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TO DO.
SO SHE SHE GAVE ME ENOUGH TO DO.
SHE GAVE ME SO MUCH ENOUGH TO DO, I REMEMBER
HAVING TO STAY IN FROM RECESS TO FINISH MY
EXTRA WORK.
AND SO SHE MADE SURE THAT I HAD THE TOOLS
I NEEDED TO REACH MY POTENTIAL.
BAND WAS DEFINITELY A BIG PART OF MY LIFE.
MUSIC WAS SOMETHING THAT I IT WAS MY OUTLET,
IT WAS MEANT EVERYTHING TO ME.
I'D PRACTICE AT HOME, I'D GIVE THEM LITTLE
RECITALS, SO I COULD PRACTICE.
I DID NOTICE A REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
SMALL TOWN, AND GOING TO TOPEKA.
HONESTLY, I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS A DIFFERENT
RACE UNTIL I WAS A SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
IT WAS A SHOCK TO ME THAT PEOPLE TREAT ME
DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF MY SKIN COLOR BECAUSE
YOU KNOW I GROW UP WITH KID THAT WERE JUST
LIKE THEM AND THEY WERE FUN FINE WITH ME.
SO AND THEN WHEN I GOT TO TOPEKA IT WAS A
LOT BETTER.
IT WAS A MIX AND IT WAS DIVERSE, AND I FELT
ACCEPTED.
I DON'T REALLY DISTINCTLY REMEMBER THEM EVER
SAYING YOU'RE GOING TO COLLEGE, BUT I COULD
FEEL IT AND I WANTED TO GO TO COLLEGE EVER
SINCE I WAS LITTLE.
>> I THINK THE FEELING IS TODAY YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO GO ANYWHERE BUT COLLEGE.
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, YOU COULD GET A TRADE,
YOU COULD GO TO WORK, STRAIGHT OUT OF HIGH
SCHOOL, EVEN BEFORE YOU FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THAT WAS AN ACCEPTED NORM, EVERYBODY DID
THAT.
YOU WEREN'T PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
YOU LEARNED A LIVING, YOU SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY,
WORK 30 YEARS AND THEN YOU RETIRE.
>> WE SAW HER POTENTIAL EARLY ON AND, UH,
REALIZED WE NEEDED TO BE SURE SHE WENT TO
COLLEGE NO MATTER WHAT.
SO WE STRIVE FOR THAT AND IT'S HAPPENED.
>> IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR MY PARENTS I WOULD
HAVE NEVER HAD ANY OF THE OPPORTUNITIES I'VE
HAD TODAY.
I'M GOING TO START CRYING.
NO, IT IS.
THEY'VE THEY'VE WORK REALLY HARD TO GET ME
TO WHERE I NEED TO BE.
AND THEY'VE SACRIFICED A LOT,
SO THAT I CAN HAVE A FUTURE.
IN MY OPINION, TO BE A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE
STUDENT IS THAT YOU COME IN TO COLLEGE WITHOUT
KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT.
YOU DON'T HAVE THAT GUIDANCE THAT STUDENTS
WHO HAVE PARENTS WHO HAVE WENT TO COLLEGE
OR SIBLINGS WHO WENT TO COLLEGE HAVE.
YOU KIND OF HAVE TO FEND FOR YOURSELF.
AND FIGURE THING OUT PRETTY QUICKLY.
I MADE SOME POOR DECISIONS BUT I LIKE TO SAY
I'M STILL HERE.
