Celebrating Olympic College’s first-generation students, alumni and employees

After graduating from OC, Rodgie plans to join the Air Force Officer program working as an Aircraft Loadmaster, a role responsible for the loading and unloading of cargo, vehicles, and people on aircraft. After serving in the Air Force, Rodgie hopes to work in government either for the Air Force or another agency. 

Pursuing a college education now is an opportunity to give back to his family and community whose support is essential while pursuing his associate and bachelor’s degrees.

“I once thought that college was out of reach due to financial constraints,” Rodgie said. “I believed it was too expensive and something I could never afford because of my family’s economic situation. However, I always felt that higher education could make a difference in someone’s life, as it can lead to success for those who earn a degree and work hard in their careers.”

The OC Promise was a huge help to Rodgie as he entered college. The OC Promise is an OC Foundation scholarship and transition program that offers last-dollar funding and support to students graduating from Olympic and Bremerton high schools for their first year of college. In addition, the program’s coaches offered tremendous help navigating college life, applying for financial aid, and addressing issues with classes and scholarships.

“OC Promise has been instrumental in my college journey, providing valuable lessons in time management, the difference between fixed and growth mindsets, and email etiquette,” Rodgie said.

Another valuable resource for Rodgie has been the college’s Resource Center, which offers OC students information and referrals, supportive listening, a textbook lending library, and emergency funding.

“The Resource Center has had a significant impact throughout my four years at Olympic College,” he said. “My class experiences has been positive, thanks to the Resource Center’s provision of essential materials.”

“I started going to school and I just loved it – and then I started having kids. It took me forever to get my AA, and I’d just take a class here and there,” she said, noting that the flexibility to take evening classes made it easier to fit classes into her busy family life. 

Stephanie said one of the biggest sources of support for her at OC was her classmates. In fact, it was through a classmate that she secured her first internship working with soldiers with PTSD.

Stephanie earned her bachelor’s degree with honors through OC’s partnership with Western Washington University and earned her Master’s in Psychology from a former university partner, UMass Global, which at the time was known as Chapman University. She’s worked in mental health for over 12 years and is currently a Direct Crisis Responder at Kitsap Mental Health.

“The more I learned, the more I didn’t know, and I just loved learning,” Stephanie said. “I always got really good grades and it helped my self-worth and helped me get a job and learn more about the world.”

Going to college to learn a skill is the best decision Stephanie ever made, she said.

“Just being able to sleep at night knowing you can pay everything and you have security, it opened up my life to other things. I really loved OC. I had my best time there.” 

He earned his BA at the University of Chicago, his MSW at the University of Washington and his Ph.D. at Stanford University.

“I grew up in a single-parent household, and so I knew I wanted to be able to help my mom,” he said. “At first, I was hesitant about college because I knew some short-term sacrifices were going to be made, mostly by my mom and family. I felt guilty, but I also knew the long-term goals of being able to support my family outweighed those short-term sacrifices.”

There was a learning curve when he first started college.

“I didn’t really understand that college was something that I’d have to learn to navigate. I just thought someone would ‘sign me up,’ and I would just go to take classes like high school.”

Mentors, advisors, and peers helped open his eyes to what college offered him and his family. He ultimately viewed college not just as a place to pursue a career, but also where he could learn and grow his interests both inside and outside the classroom. 

“I also remember thinking college was a huge luxury, especially when I saw name-brand breakfast cereals in the cafeteria,” he recalled. “Those little luxuries blew me away at the time.”

James encourages students to ask questions about college.

“I remember feeling a bit timid about asking questions since everyone else around me seemed to have it under control,” he said.

When teaching a new class, he shares stories about college experiences that reflect his journey as a first-gen student. For example, a professor asked to meet him for office hours.

“I prepared a couple of days in advance because I thought ‘office hours’ meant that I had to speak to them for an hour about the class subject,” he recalled.

When he sat down and began reading from his notes, the professor paused him and asked how he was enjoying the class. When James explained what he thought office hours were, she told him, “Let’s talk for an hour, but about anything you want.”

“I’ll never forget that. We still keep in touch and run into each other at conferences. I hope to be as open, understanding, and challenging as the best professors I had as a student.”

“I think they always wished they had an opportunity to go to college, so they were very encouraging and motivating,” she said. “Because they were so supportive, it helped me to figure out how to navigate higher ed even though they hadn’t.”

Deanna recalled that when she was in kindergarten, she heard her school principal referred to as “doctor.” When she learned her principal was not a medical doctor but had earned a Ph.D., it sparked something in her, she said.

“At a young age I was always curious about how people got an education. College seemed like this great place where you could go do something and be better.”

Deanna earned her bachelor’s degree in communications at Juniata College, a small liberal arts school in central Pennsylvania, and earned a minor in Spanish and a certificate in International Studies. She earned a master’s in education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and later worked at Colorado State University and earned her Ph.D. in education there.

Initially considering studying pre-med, a public speaking class instructor told her she was a good speaker. She was introverted, but the comment intrigued her, and she took other communications classes. Later, a mentor suggested she pursue a career in higher education, which she did.

“I try to encourage students to explore – say yes to stuff,” she said. “Because in my own life, a lot of times someone would say, ‘Why don’t you try this?’ And instead of saying no, I would say ‘OK!’ And that always led to something else. So say yes to stuff. You never know where it’s going to take you.”

It's also important to remember that everyone’s college journey is different, she said.

“I came from a good home, and the challenges we had financially were overcome by the support systems and care mechanisms and safety mechanisms,” she said. “Everyone has their own journey, everyone has their own privilege, everyone has their own challenges. So just embrace what your story is, be proud of it, and just try to do what you can do to make the best of yourself, because we all have potential and we all have things within us that can get us to that next step when we’re thinking about college and beyond.”

OC is here to support you

Are you a first-generation college student, or thinking about enrolling in college? We have many resources to help you succeed.

• Resource Center. Access resources such as information and referrals, supportive listening, a textbook lending library, and emergency funding.

• Student Ambassadors. Our team of OC student ambassadors helps prospective students and their families learn about our college and navigate the enrollment process.

• Food Pantry. The Sheryl McKinley Food Pantry is open year-round and is available at all three campuses to all students while school is in session.

• Scholarships. Did you know OC students are awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships annually? Get free money to help you pay for college!

• Welcome Center. The Welcome Center is your one-stop shop where you can receive personalized help with very step in the admissions and enrollment process.