My name is Dylan Vest and I am a first-generation student here at West Virginia
University. Being a first-generation student really does mean going first.
You delve into this new world that
you've never been exposed to, that your
family's never been exposed to. Just
navigating college in a different way,
knowing that you can't call your parents
and ask them how to navigate
financial aid or how to navigate courses
or just anything. But WVU has
provided great, great resources here. My
senior year of high school I knew I
didn't have any college savings. I didn't have a 529 plan. My family didn't have
any money to send me to college, so I
knew it was all up to me and I knew I
didn't want loans. I knew I didn't want to struggle in college. So, I made it my
part-time job doing my senior year, I
applied for every scholarship possible
and then, during my time here, I applied
for so many internal scholarships. I've
become an Eberly Scholar twice, I've been
able to earn other scholarships through
the political science department and a very generous world language scholarship to
study for a whole year in France, and I
never would have thought any of that
would have been possible. Being educated at WVU has let me have that passion
to go first as I pursued my Pickering
Fellowship, as I pursue my career in the
Foreign Service and I'll be so proud to
represent not only of the United States,
but also West Virginia wherever I am in
the world. I talk to my dad all the
time and he just always reminds me of
how proud he is of me
and he's so excited for where I'm going.
As we go through the COVID-19
pandemic, I'm so, so thankful that I don't
have to worry about finances. Through
the scholarships that I've gotten at WVU, I'm okay. I'm okay, and I'm about
to start my master's degree and I'll be
okay, and then I have my career following
that. So, I'm so thankful for the security
that my scholarships through WVU have
provided me. I just want to thank all the
donors that have supported all of the
scholarships that are available here at
WVU. It's really changed my life
and I can't wait to give back myself in
the future.
