00;00;00;13 - 00;00;29;01 Sean Ashcraft Ashcraft: Hello, this is Sean Ashcraft, producer and audio engineer for The Facing Project, and I wanted to make a very quick announcement that we'll be delivering “encore” episodes of The Facing Project on a weekly, or sometimes twice-weekly, basis, starting with this show. You may or may not already know that The Facing Project has been broadcasting weekly on Indiana Public Radio since the start of 2024, and we thought it would be nice to bring some fresh new features to past podcast episodes such as transcripts, captions, and chapter markers, 00;00;29;01 - 00;00;47;00 Sean Ashcraft where available. And we think our past shows have some really great and still-timely conversations and stories that you may have missed or just want to hear again. Each show will sync up with the show that we broadcast each week, and, if you didn't already know, the podcast will often contain a bit more than we can fit into the broadcast hour, so that's pretty neat. 00;00;47;02 - 00;00;51;26 Sean Ashcraft We hope you enjoy. And I think that's all for me. Let's get on with the show. 00;00;51;28 - 00;01;02;24 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: More than half of students on campuses today are the first in their families to go to college. How do these students succeed during a time when college is more expensive than ever? I'm Kelsey Timmerman. 00;01;02;29 - 00;01;13;21 J.R. Jamison Jamison: And I'm J.R. Jamison. Today on the Facing Project, we'll discuss first, but never alone. [Theme music] 00;01;13;23 - 00;01;40;18 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: College can seem like a foreign land if you're a first generation college student. A place where people speak a different language, at least figuratively, and have hidden cultural norms. In the last 30 years, due to an ever changing American economy and push for post-secondary education, the number of first generation students has risen by 25%. Today, 56% of college students will be the first in their families to graduate with an undergraduate degree. 00;01;40;20 - 00;01;51;28 Kelsey Timmerman For me, attending and succeeding in college was expected. I applied to one college only. Shout out to Miami University and I got in. But, J.R., I've gathered that your experience was a bit different. 00;01;52;01 - 00;02;02;17 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Yeah, I was one of those first gen students. When I started college in 1997, I barely made it. In fact, after my first semester, I was put on academic probation. 00;02;02;18 - 00;02;02;27 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: Yikes. 00;02;03;00 - 00;02;15;29 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Yeah. But 23 years later, I can proudly say that I not only hold a bachelor's degree, but also a master's degree. And that was only possible because others saw potential in me and showed me the ropes. 00;02;16;02 - 00;02;21;13 J.R. Jamison There was Elizabeth Dalton in the English department who taught my freshman remedial English course. 00;02;21;13 - 00;02;22;09 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: Wow. 00;02;22;11 - 00;02;42;13 J.R. Jamison Jamison: And who saw potential my writing and encouraged me to major in English. I didn't, but I did minor in creative writing, and her constant cheerleading kept me showing up to class and finding a home there in that department, where I eventually met Barbara Bogue, who helped me hone my writing craft. 00;02;42;15 - 00;02;55;01 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: Barbara Bogue. She had a class at Ball State writing in the community that in many ways helped inspire the Facing Project. I met her before I even met you. Funny that she played a key role in your journey. 00;02;55;02 - 00;03;18;28 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Yeah. It is. Barbara is a legend and a national treasure. Seriously, though, without these folks, I don't know if I would have made it. I didn't know the hidden roles. I didn't know how to network. I made so many fumbles. But having mentors showed me the way. And they told me that I mattered and that I made a whole world of difference. 00;03;19;01 - 00;03;49;18 J.R. Jamison And you know, my story isn't just a one off, an anecdotal experience. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, research shows that the first six weeks of college are crucial and will determine if a student stays or goes. And the most important factor during those six weeks? Finding connections, like friendships, mentors, social clubs and access to faculty. Colleges and universities are recognizing this, and over the last decade, many have opened offices and centers to support first generation students. 00;03;49;21 - 00;04;03;24 J.R. Jamison In fact, the National Association for Student Affairs Professionals in Higher Education opened their own center for first generation students success. It provides those who direct first in programs and college campuses with training and a broader network of resources. 00;04;03;26 - 00;04;26;21 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: But is college worth it? I mean, I think it is. I majored in anthropology, which seems to be a consistent frontrunner on those lists of “what not to major in if you want to be a responsible adult.” Well, that was me. And a little confession: I never got a job with that degree, but anthropology inspired my curiosity and gave me the tools to pursue my own questions, which led to my career. 00;04;26;23 - 00;04;53;29 Kelsey Timmerman And more than that, I think my liberal arts degree enhanced my life and made the world more interesting. But those are kind of the touchy feely liberal arts arguments. So let's get down to the numbers. The average college graduate earned $78,000 per year, compared to $45,000 per year for those with a high school diploma. This $30,000 difference has held true for the last 20 years. But, $30,000, 00;04;54;07 - 00;05;12;10 Kelsey Timmerman that's also the average amount of debt that a typical college student who borrowed money for school graduates with. For many of us, college is the second largest expense next to buying a home. So can students today afford to go to college? Can they afford not to go to college? 00;05;12;12 - 00;05;23;14 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Which brings us to today's story from a student in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It was shared anonymously and was part of a Facing Project led by Central Michigan University. 00;05;23;16 - 00;05;35;09 Amanda Hummer Hummer: 47,000 things. An anonymous story from Facing College at Central Michigan University, performed by Amanda Hummer. 00;05;35;11 - 00;05;59;05 Amanda Hummer My mom wanted to be a novelist. Her love for literature influenced me to read. I read a lot of books and plays. My favorite being A Raisin in the Sun. When we were between homes, we weren't strangers to living in shelters. As a kid, you don't really know what's going on. It was all an adventure to me, but to my mom, I'm sure it wasn't. 00;05;59;08 - 00;06;24;13 Amanda Hummer Mom's dad was Chippewa. My grandmother was born to a military family in Germany, so they traveled all over. My mom was born and raised in Memphis, so pretty much all of her family resides in the South. I hadn't heard from my dad since I was 3 or 4. When I was around 17, we talked again. He's of Haitian Creole descent, but I don't know much more beyond that. 00;06;24;15 - 00;06;51;15 Amanda Hummer I've lived in Wisconsin and Lansing with my grandmother and in New York with my aunt. I was moving every year of my life. When I was in seventh grade., we got a house in Lansing. My mom met my stepdad and I stayed there through the end of high school. My mom always said that education was a priority. High school was really important to me because I met my group of best friends and band. 00;06;51;17 - 00;07;07;22 Amanda Hummer They shaped who I am today. My sisters took school seriously until they got caught up with life. Both got pregnant at 16 and decided to focus on their families. I was the first to earn a high school diploma and attend a four year university. 00;07;07;24 - 00;07;34;14 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: So our storyteller made it to college. But there are a lot of barriers for students like her. Cost is one of them. In the last ten years, the fees at four year public schools have increased by 45% and 26% at private schools. Students often have to stretch to fund their education. And if you're a first-gen college student, which typically means your family is earning 40% less, that stretch can be a challenge. 00;07;34;16 - 00;08;04;17 Kelsey Timmerman In 2018, 56% of college students faced housing insecurity in the previous 12 months and 17% reported being homeless during that period. Universities are welcoming more low income, first gen and minority students at the same time costs are going up. It's understandable, then, that 25% of first gen students drop out after the first year. An admirable, as in the case of our storyteller, that 75% succeed. 00;08;04;19 - 00;08;24;26 Amanda Hummer Hummer: When I got to college, I didn't have any family or friends to lean on. I didn't know anyone. During my freshman year, I found out my scholarships hadn't gone through. I was crying in the hallway. I thought maybe college wasn't the place for me. But then a man walked out of an office and asked me why I was crying. 00;08;24;28 - 00;08;53;18 Amanda Hummer I told him about my situation. Mr. Davis asked if I was a first generation college student and if I was Pell Grant eligible. He then asked if I had heard of the Pathways program, because it wasn't too late to sign up for a first year experience class. In a second, he helped me. I thought to myself, what could a whole class on how to do college teach me? 00;08;53;20 - 00;08;56;24 Amanda Hummer And I've been involved in Pathways ever since. 00;08;56;26 - 00;09;24;29 J.R. Jamison Jamison: The centers and offices to support first generation students that I talked about in the opening of the show–like the ones that the National Association for Student Affairs Professionals and Higher Education supports–that's what Pathways to Student Academic Success is at Central Michigan University. Pathways’ students attend classes together, have faculty and staff mentors, and the office helps first-gen students develop personalized academic plans to help them determine what to study and what fields to go into after college. 00;09;25;02 - 00;09;45;14 Amanda Hummer Hummer: I decided to study anthropology to learn about other cultures. I want my area of study to be Haitian and African American affairs. I'm interested in working for the UN and the NAACP with Black Lives Matter. Maybe the Peace Corps. I want to make a change. I want to be someone who's on the front lines and fighting the good fight. 00;09;45;17 - 00;10;07;07 Amanda Hummer Hit the ground running and help people. Be someone a kid could look up to. I want to provide resources to families in need. I want to advocate for diversity and inclusion for everyone. But right now, I have 47,000 different things on my mind. I'm working 30 hours a week so that I can be able to help my family if they need it. 00;10;07;10 - 00;10;34;14 Amanda Hummer I work hard to be another role model in my nieces and nephews lives and provide them with the support I wish I had as a child. I feel like my mission on this earth is to help others. Because I didn't have that as a kid. [Aspirational indie rock] 00;10;34;16 - 00;10;43;02 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: The storyteller? She is the last of her family to be first generation college student. 00;10;43;04 - 00;10;55;06 J.R. Jamison We want to welcome to the show Mary Henley, the director of Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or Gear Up, and Pathways to Academic Student Success at Central Michigan University. Thank you for joining us. 00;10;55;10 - 00;10;56;20 Mary Henley Henley: Oh, thank you for having me. 00;10;56;23 - 00;11;09;23 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Not only do you direct a program for first generation college students, but you also lead a Facing Project and the one that curated the story that we used in today's show. What made you decide to take on this particular project? 00;11;09;25 - 00;11;28;19 Mary Henley You know, we took on this particular project because it was a way for us to tell the story of our students and also bring recognition to the program and let other first generation students know that we are here on the campus of Central Michigan University. 00;11;28;24 - 00;11;37;00 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: Do you feel like you learn anything new from the stories that came up through this project? Or do you feel like the campus community learned anything new? 00;11;37;03 - 00;12;10;05 Mary Henley Henley: Definitely. I think what the campus community learned was that with all the stories we told, there were just basic things that students had in common. You know, they come seeking knowledge. They come into a new culture, and they come trying to open doors to the rest of their lives. The stories allows the community to see how the community can contribute to this process and to these students. 00;12;10;07 - 00;12;16;16 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: Yeah, just curious, have there been any ongoing, like, impacts or the stories still use in any way? 00;12;16;19 - 00;12;39;17 Mary Henley Henley: The stories are still used for our incoming students when we want to just simply share what we do, when we want to share the “why.” This is why we do this, because we were able to have impact on these students, and telling their stories allows others who are coming behind them to also share their stories. 00;12;39;19 - 00;12;49;04 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Have any of the students who are coming in new to the program, when they hear these stories, have any of them shared how that's helped them? 00;12;49;07 - 00;13;15;11 Mary Henley Henley: Yes. You know, they talk about, you know, the stories and the similarities, and it allows them to share because many of them think, oh, I'm the only one who do not know, you know, how to navigate a campus. I am the only one. And these stories allow them to, you know, share their experiences and be okay with sharing those experiences. 00;13;15;13 - 00;13;28;15 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: Great. So before you become a first generation college student, you actually have to get to college. So what are some of the challenges that folks face as they make that journey? 00;13;28;18 - 00;13;52;02 Mary Henley Henley: You know, I was a first generation college student. I've been doing this work for a long time. I came to Central Michigan University in 1979 as a 17 year old college student. And yes, I am giving away my age. [laughter] But as a 17 year old college student from an urban community, my family did not go to college. I had no direction. 00;13;52;02 - 00;14;24;25 Mary Henley I had no idea what I was walking into. So I have lived this experience many, many years ago. And there are many pitfalls that happen and many pitfalls that I experienced. And what I am able to do from this position and with this program is to sort of carve a smoother path for these students coming in, saying, “here are the resources, here's some direction.” We're not trying to, you know, be your parent and tell you how to experience your college life. 00;14;24;27 - 00;14;35;27 Mary Henley We just want to let you know the resources that are available so that you can feel comfortable utilizing those and navigate more quickly through the different educational levels. 00;14;35;29 - 00;14;47;26 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: So unless it's too personal, you don't have to answer. But what were some of the pitfalls and challenges that you faced? Like what was that like for you even, you know, getting into college and then that first day on campus? 00;14;47;27 - 00;15;21;23 Mary Henley Henley: Oh gosh. The pitfalls. Well, you know, coming in without the knowledge of how to apply for scholarships, I was a pretty decent student, but I came in with no scholarships because my family didn't know and I didn't have those connections in order to seek those scholarships. So you come in, you know, not understanding what it will cost to go to college in a year, you know, about $24-25,000, and when you talk to students coming in and you ask, so how much does it cost? 00;15;21;23 - 00;15;45;25 Mary Henley And how do you pay for that? Many of them can't connect those dots. Knowing what scholarships are, knowing, about financial aid and what is available to them to pay for college. So that was a pitfall. So I came here, didn't have the scholarships because I didn't apply for them in high school. So there's a gap in how you pay. 00;15;45;28 - 00;16;14;10 Mary Henley So you get a job. Many students do this. They get a job in the community. They work a lot of hours, and then they can't focus on the reason they're here, their education. So those are some of the pitfalls: coming in and not having the correct counseling or the correct courses, simply not knowing what you want to major in and simply knowing that it's okay to come to college without a major, you will have an opportunity to figure it out. 00;16;14;12 - 00;16;22;20 Mary Henley Not understanding how much you have to study and then not getting the grades that you would like. Those are some of the pitfalls. 00;16;22;23 - 00;16;32;15 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: So for you, what made you think that, what inspired you to go to college in the first place when you didn't have that maybe that example in your family? 00;16;32;18 - 00;17;01;12 Mary Henley Henley: My family. I was one of six children and single mother, and we always knew and she always shared that education was the way out of our environment, out of the cycle. So I always knew that I wanted to go to college and that I would go to college, and getting good grades in high school was the way. I just didn't have that bridge in terms of how to get there. 00;17;01;15 - 00;17;37;25 Mary Henley But I got there. And then once I got on to campus, I struggled looking for resources, but with programs like Pathways to Academic Student Success, we're set up to connect with many of the students in high school, middle and high school. And then once they get on the campus of Central Michigan University, we then advise them, we help them to select the best courses, and we give them that information they would probably get from parents had parents attending college, and we just sort of help them with those resources. 00;17;37;27 - 00;17;48;27 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Mary, I love your personal story so much, and I can relate to that because I too, I'm one of six children and I'm a first generation college student. 00;17;48;29 - 00;18;15;17 J.R. Jamison And I remember going home for Christmas, my freshman year of college, and feeling like I had this experience that no one else in my family had had, and I wasn't quite sure how to articulate that to them. And I also felt kind of guilty, like I was I was in something that was going to make me move towards something else that maybe others in my family didn't have the opportunity to do. 00;18;15;17 - 00;18;32;24 J.R. Jamison And so the communication there just fell out. I remember that first time going home, and I felt almost bad when I went back to college. How do you help students navigate that, or do you see that still in today's first-gen students, when they have programs available to them? And what what kind of navigation do you help provide? 00;18;33;00 - 00;19;00;05 Mary Henley Henley: You know, we, that is one of the main things we talk about, especially that big first holiday break where now you've been on campus and you've had freedom to come and go and you got you had an opportunity to set your own rules. You've been studying all of this information, and now you go home to your families and they're looking at you and maybe saying things to you like, why do you speak so properly now? 00;19;00;07 - 00;19;29;10 Mary Henley You're you've changed. You're different, as if it is a negative thing and it's your education shining through. But how do you share that? I did an article a few years back and it was called Navigating the First Holiday Break, and, you know, setting ups, setting up conversation and communication because many of our students, they go home and they no longer have a room. 00;19;29;12 - 00;20;17;25 Mary Henley Siblings have taken over their rooms. They go home and they fall back into, well, the expectation is high school rules. They don't know anything about college rules. And so just talking with the students about how to navigate that return home as adults and how to share the experience. But instead of waiting to go home, we encourage students like if there is a sibling's weekend or a parent's weekend, invite your parents to your wor- into your world so that they can have some exposure and some experience, and then they can kind of understand what it is, what your world now looks like, and bring them into your world instead of carving out something that's totally 00;20;17;25 - 00;20;19;21 Mary Henley separate. 00;20;19;24 - 00;20;35;09 J.R. Jamison Do you see a drop in return or retention after that break? Is there, do you see that it's harder for students to come back to college after that first return? 00;20;35;11 - 00;21;07;23 Mary Henley I actually think it's the opposite, because once students have had that first semester and they go home for that long break, they say to themselves, in many cases, “I like my college life, I value it. I value my independence, and I want to keep it.” So that long break. So the first winter break and then many students will come home for that first summer break and they will go home and they will work in the summer and they live home all summer. 00;21;07;25 - 00;21;31;23 Mary Henley At that point they may say, “Next summer I'm going to do an internship. Next summer I'm going to do a study abroad.” So I feel like, you know, it's baby steps. You get that first break, you get that first summer, and then it just helps students gain their confidence about what they're going to do next, where they're going, and family will be there for them. 00;21;31;25 - 00;21;38;22 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: And so kind of back to your own story, how did your education impact your family? 00;21;38;25 - 00;22;08;22 Mary Henley Henley: It impacted my family. I was one of six children, and I think at the time I wasn't as aware of the impact. My family moved to Mississippi when I was a sophomore. So I was in college, and then my family moved and so I was the only one left in Michigan. That was very, very difficult because then I didn't have family to go to on the weekends. 00;22;08;23 - 00;22;17;20 Mary Henley It just sort of sped up my need to grow up and to figure things out and how I was going to [live] for myself. 00;22;17;22 - 00;22;36;03 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: Do you have any particular stories of a student who started and now has gone on to do, you know, start started with those challenges of that first generation college student comes across and then has gone on to to do things that you're amazed by that really stand out to you? 00;22;36;06 - 00;22;43;20 Mary Henley Henley: Yes. Yes, definitely. What was the story, 47 screws or something like that? [laughter] 00;22;43;22 - 00;22;47;23 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: 47,000 things, that was, is the title of the story. [laughter] 00;22;48;00 - 00;23;15;00 Mary Henley 47,000 things. But then there was another one that talked about a student who had scoliosis and had bolts in her spine. And she was a first generation student. It was one of our stories. And so that particular story that student graduated from CMU. She went on to Wayne State, and got the master's degree and now has her white coat and is doing very, very well. 00;23;15;02 - 00;23;15;29 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Wow. 00;23;16;02 - 00;23;47;06 Mary Henley They may come into the program thinking, you know, they don't they don't have everything they need to be successful. But what they discover is that each student is special and has a lot to offer. And once we can kind of figure out what that student excels in and give him areas where they could be confident, it is wonderful to watch those students give back to the students coming behind them. 00;23;47;09 - 00;24;10;11 Mary Henley They come out and they volunteer for college visits for middle and high school students, providing those experiences and that exposure. Then they gain leadership skills. They gain confidence to move forward to graduate programs, doctoral studies, study abroad. It just opens up their world. 00;24;10;13 - 00;24;25;03 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: That's great. So we hear a lot about the cost of college increasing. And so sounds like you've been in academia now for a bit. How has that increased cost impacted first-gen students? 00;24;25;05 - 00;25;01;17 Mary Henley Henley: It has significantly impacted first-gen students because they have to make more choices upfront. So do I go to a trade school or do I go to community college because that may be cheaper? Or do I, you know, what do I do at the middle and high school level in order to make sure I'm applying for as many scholarships as possible so that I am able to afford to go to a four year institution or go out of state, if that's what you choose. 00;25;01;20 - 00;25;29;20 Mary Henley So the increasing price of college, it just requires a lot more thought and decisions, you know, at the beginning, you know, at a time when I'm not sure if students are as prepared to make those decisions, so do I stay home? Do I, you know, get scholarships? Do I take out loans? What do I do? And those are very big decisions. 00;25;29;22 - 00;26;01;11 J.R. Jamison Jamison: I'm thinking back to when I was a high school student and this would have been in the mid 90s. And I remember my guidance counselor then wasn't, I guess, well equipped to coach someone like me toward scholarships or even toward college. And I feel like that has changed. Can you talk a little bit about the work that you do, if at all, with, with high schools and those first-gen students to find a pathway to higher education? 00;26;01;14 - 00;26;36;11 Mary Henley Henley: We work hand in hand with our admissions office, and we offer what's called college day programs, where students have the opportunity to come to campus to experience Central Michigan University in a day. They have an opportunity to meet with colleges and departments and to learn about very specific scholarships that are available to them. We get mentors and college students to work with them to tell their financial story. 00;26;36;11 - 00;27;12;05 Mary Henley Meaning, if it costs this much in a year, how do you pay for that? And so talking specifically about, you know, filling out your FAFSA and making sure that you have access to everything. Talk about the different types of scholarships that they're actually getting and what it takes you know to keep those. Academics. So, bottom line, so middle and high school, making sure that you're taking those challenging courses that you're getting prepared in order to compete for the scholarship because that's the money you don't have to pay back. 00;27;12;08 - 00;27;37;25 Mary Henley That is the money you want. We start that messaging very, very early with middle and high school visits. We have our Fire Up Fridays here on campus, that’s sponsored by the university. They do a wonderful job. And we're talking scholarships. We're talking what you need to do now in order to be to prepare for your future. And that you, even as a seventh and eighth grader, have some control. 00;27;37;27 - 00;27;48;01 Mary Henley Because if you, you know, achieve academically at seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, 11th and 12th, then the colleges are competing for you. 00;27;48;04 - 00;27;48;28 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: Wow, in middle school. 00;27;48;29 - 00;28;13;19 Mary Henley Henley: And we present that. At this point, everyone's telling you what to do with your lives. But just think about it. You have some control. Pass that test. Pass that class you know have a 4.0 semester. Keep doing that. And then the big colleges are competing with you for you because they're coming with you for dollars because they want you. 00;28;13;22 - 00;28;27;02 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: That's great. I'm going to have my daughter who's going to start middle school next year listen to that. [Laughter] Yeah, it seems so early, like middle school, to be thinking about college, but, the sooner the better, it sounds like. Yeah. 00;28;27;03 - 00;28;29;15 Mary Henley Henley: Very real, very real. 00;28;29;17 - 00;28;46;04 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Do you find in your work with first-gen students, this early outreach... Do you find that the students are more likely to attend a college or university in the geographic area where they grew up? Or do you find that it doesn't matter? 00;28;46;06 - 00;29;10;29 Mary Henley Henley: You know, it doesn't matter. I think it's about the fit. When you hit a campus and it is your fit in terms of the degree and the major, the people, you know, what you're comfortable with. I think the fit is the most important thing. And when all of those things come together, the student will know this is the place for me. 00;29;11;01 - 00;29;27;07 Mary Henley And that's why we encourage students to do the college visits. You know, there, there are online tours and things that you can do, but there's nothing like boots on the ground on a campus to know if it's for you. 00;29;27;09 - 00;29;56;19 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: Well, I really love that you're using your story to help other students, that, that you can relate to. And I think that's really critical to what we try to do at the Facing Project to help people share their story so other people can learn from them. In this particular story that we shared in this episode, you know, students crying in the hallway and there's Mr. Davis there who just walked out of the room and and was ready to step forward and help, took the time to help the student and set them on this path. 00;29;56;21 - 00;30;04;26 Kelsey Timmerman And you're that Mr. Davis, sounds like, for, for many, many students. Did you have a Mr. Davis in your in your path? 00;30;04;29 - 00;30;35;24 Mary Henley Henley: You know, I did not have [a] Mr. Davis, but Mr. Davis is the academic advisor for the Pathways Program. So his job is, you know, is to reach out to the students and try to figure out who is first generation, what are their challenges and what are their needs? So we're always on the lookout for students. And if we have a student that looks like they're in distress, we're going to stop and try to figure out, okay, what is happening with the student, what resources are available, 00;30;35;26 - 00;30;59;17 Mary Henley and how can we help the student to to get out of distress? And the thing about that is that is that is the campus of Central Michigan University. That is who we are. That is what we do through orientation, through everyday life. If we see that we're going to step in and we're going to say, okay. 00;30;59;21 - 00;31;00;05 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: That's great. 00;31;00;06 - 00;31;08;23 Mary Henley Henley: Who do you belong to? What, what can I do to help with your distress? Because we are here for you. 00;31;08;26 - 00;31;09;22 J.R. Jamison Jamison: That's perfect. 00;31;09;24 - 00;31;12;09 Mary Henley Henley: We're very serious about that. 00;31;12;12 - 00;31;20;05 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Mary Henley, director of Gear Up and Pathways to Academic Student Success at Central Michigan University, thank you so much for joining us. 00;31;20;07 - 00;31;21;29 Mary Henley Henley: Thank you again for having me. 00;31;22;01 - 00;31;29;13 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: Thanks, Mary. Really appreciate it. [Theme music] 00;31;29;15 - 00;31;41;16 J.R. Jamison Jamison: To listen to past episodes of this program, visit IndianaPublicRadio.org/TheFacingProject. From there, you can subscribe to the podcast where you'll get episodes of the Facing Project delivered to your device each month. 00;31;41;18 - 00;31;56;18 Kelsey Timmerman Timmerman: Listeners can contribute stories or volunteer to share the stories of others with the Facing Project that may appear on the show. More information at FacingProject.com/InspireAction. If you continue the conversation about this episode, find us on Facebook at The Facing Project. 00;31;56;20 - 00;32;16;02 J.R. Jamison Jamison: The Facing Project is recorded at Indiana Public Radio at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and is produced by Sean Ashcraft. The show is distributed nationally through PRX. We are your host, Kelsey Timmerman and J.R. Jamison. And until next time, we wish you the courage to share your own story and the empathy to listen to others.