First-gen speaker: Ask questions, find mentors, use resources
Dr. Chad Graham’s family gave him a goal: Go to college.
What they could not give him was a roadmap.
Now Meridian Community College’s dean of University Transfer Education, Dr. Graham shared his experience as a first-generation college student during MCC’s First Generation event.
A first-generation college student is described as one whose parents did not attend or finish college. Each fall, MCC honors first-generation college students with events including a reception and a talk by a guest speaker to encourage these students to continue their academic endeavors.
Dr. Graham’s grandmother, mother, and father pushed him toward education because they understood what life could be like without a degree. His grandmother raised three children after a divorce. His mother put college aside to raise a family. His father traded a chance to play college basketball for work and military service.
They all helped Dr. Graham reach college. Finding his way through it took more work, though.
A STAR student in high school, Dr. Graham entered William Carey College, now William Carey University, on an academic scholarship. He finished his first term with a 0.9 grade point average (GPA).
High school had come easily. College required study habits he had never developed.
Facing the possible loss of his scholarship, Dr. Graham had to change his approach. Faculty mentors helped him plan his classes, discover opportunities, and see a future beyond his early grades.
One professor helped him secure an internship at East Mississippi State Hospital, which later hired him. Dr. Graham went on to earn graduate degrees and joined MCC as a psychology instructor in 2002.
Today, he remembers his own struggles when students come to his office.
“That GPA is not what your potential is,” he said. “It’s not who you are. It’s just what you did, and you need to change that.”
His advice to first-generation students is direct: Ask questions, find mentors, and use campus resources. Learn the steps toward a career early, then build momentum through daily choices.
“Don’t focus on what you don’t know, but focus on how you can find it out,” he said.
Dr. Graham’s family also found new paths. His mother enrolled in community college alongside his youngest brother, later earned an education degree, and became a teacher.
Now Dr. Graham’s son attends MCC, carrying that progress into another generation.
“I may be first gen, but I don’t want to be last gen,” Dr. Graham said.
For his children and students, Dr. Graham hopes to provide the directions he once lacked.
“I am the map in the glove box,” he said.
For more information, visit meridiancc.edu.