Dalina Phomphengchane, a second-year in strategic communication, took her experiences as a first-generation college student and became a founding member of Buckeyes First, a student organization created to provide first-generation students with resources and community. As someone who navigated the college application process and financial aid on her own, Phomphengchane recognizes the challenge of that experience firsthand.
Melisa Diaz, a Ph.D. candidate in earth sciences and outreach coordinator of Ohio State’s division of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science, earned a spot as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, one of the most competitive graduate fellowships in the country. Working nonstop hours to support herself through school almost stopped her from getting there.
Chyiah Johnson, a first-year in criminology and criminal justice studies, was one of the few students in her sophomore class in high school to earn a spot in Ohio State’s Young Scholars Program, which serves students from the nine largest urban public school districts in Ohio. Keeping up with academics and playing sports became her outlet as she grappled with tragic shootings and gun violence in the streets around her.
Irma Zamora, a Ph.D. student in the Department of English and member of the Latinx Space for Enrichment and Research — a community of Latinx students and scholars engaged in expanding their presence in higher education, according to its website — is on a track to achieve her dream of becoming a tenured professor in Latinx literature. Along the way, she has faced struggles such as homelessness and working overtime to support her family back in California.
Aarushi Arora, a first-year in engineering, isn’t too far from home at Ohio State — just 13 miles from Dublin, Ohio. Growing up with a single parent who worked in customer service, doing all she could to support her three daughters, Arora felt shut out of her affluent suburban community.
Cameron King, a first-year in electrical and computer engineering, knew he wanted to be an engineer after countless robotics competitions in high school. After his family was struck by a sudden setback when he was in eighth grade, his parents set an example of resilience that he’s taken with him to college.