{"id":184,"date":"2025-06-17T18:33:56","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T18:33:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/report-to-the-community\/?page_id=184"},"modified":"2025-07-07T18:31:58","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T18:31:58","slug":"student-experience","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/report-to-the-community\/student-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"The first-generation experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

THE FIRST-GENERATION EXPERIENCE<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Yuying Ou, Biochemistry, expected graduation \u201927<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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One student shares her journey toward independence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

IT WASN\u2019T UNTIL <\/strong>Yuying Ou\u2019s sophomore year that she felt comfortable at UW Bothell. She was living away from home for the first time, and during her first week she realized many of her peers had parents they could lean on for support in navigating college life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many first-generation students, she often felt lost without that kind of familial support. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know how to plan our college years or find out whether we should continue studying or start working after graduation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ou felt some shame about her first-generation status until she attended the National First Generation Celebration week. Meeting other students like her, she said, helped her feel that she belonged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe helped each other and shared information \u2014 like, where you can apply for scholarships,\u201d Ou said. \u201cOr if you have a housing problem, what you can do. Or even where you can get free textbooks.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ou chose to come to UW Bothell so she could stay close to her family but also because she knew about the small class sizes. \u201cI remember in my first chemistry class, the professor asked everyone\u2019s name \u2014 and he remembered our names after just the first week,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s nice because you feel like you\u2019re making connections with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she learned about the concept of faculty \u201coffice hours\u201d where students can meet one-to-one and talk with professors, Ou started attending. One professor encouraged her to ask more questions during class after she expressed nervousness about raising her hand. The encouragement gave her more confidence to speak up, she recalled, and she became more engaged during classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scholarships have also helped support Ou as she has become more active on campus. \u201cI feel like the support of a scholarship is not just about the money,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s also about giving me opportunities to grow and to study.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without scholarships, Ou said she would need to work part-time to afford college, which would leave her less time for studying. Having scholarships has also allowed Ou to cover small expenses such as the required coat and glasses to use in her science lab classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, Ou wants to participate in research projects. After graduation, she then hopes to work in a medical laboratory. \u201cI set a goal to work in a lab when I was 17, and I\u2019ve never once thought of giving up,\u201d she said. \u201cI know that keeping a goal is much harder than setting one \u2014 but the joy and excitement that comes with making progress is beyond compare.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yuying Ou received the UW Bothell STEM Scholarship. Donate to the scholarship fund by clicking here<\/a>.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\n<\/span>The first 35 years<\/span><\/a>\nInspired by computer science rockstars<\/span><\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE FIRST-GENERATION EXPERIENCE One student shares her journey toward independence. IT WASN\u2019T UNTIL Yuying Ou\u2019s sophomore year that she felt comfortable at UW Bothell. 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