First-Gen Student Now Helps Students Succeed

For many students, their connection with faculty propels their experience in higher education. To some, they are just professors, but to more, professors instill confidence and become mentors that provide space to grow in all areas of life.

For psychology alumnus Jason Nicholas, his relationships with faculty at Minnesota State University Moorhead provided him the mentorship and career guidance he desperately needed in his life, something he now gets to be a part of in others' lives.

"I was a pretty beat up student, I had a terrible GPA, and my path was far from clear," Jason says. "But the professors in the psychology department saw something in me that I didn't see in myself yet."

B.A. in Psychology

Before landing in psychology for his major, he bounced around, originally declaring as an art major at Northern Michigan University before dropping out and transferring to MSUM and switching to biology, and finally landing on psychology. As a first-generation college student (the first in his family to attend and complete a college degree), and as the oldest sibling in his family, he didn't have someone in his life to guide him through the college experience.

"Not having people in your life who can tell you what to do in college, and what not to do, had a big impact on how long it took me to get through, and how much it cost to finish my education," he says.

As well as not having family experience to guide him in college decisions, university-wide student support wasn't as robust when he was attending MSUM in the early 2000's.

"There wasn't anywhere near as much student support back then; students were left to figure things out on their own," he says.

Between the lack of built-in student support and not having family members who went to college, Jason found himself struggling to find his way in higher education, so he leaned on his professors.

"I was always a curious guy and hung around after class or followed professors back to their offices with questions," he said. "I'm sure I drove them nuts. But Dr. Ernest "Willie" Hallford let me hang out for hours with him and talk about everything."

It was in these faculty relationships that Jason found the mentorship and guidance he needed, but after graduating with a bachelor's in psychology, he still didn't know what he should do next. After a recommendation from an old friend, he decided to pursue a master's degree at UW Stout. Jason fell in love with what he was doing and completed a master's degree in applied psychology with a concentration in industrial/organizational psychology and program evaluation.

This love for his field, and the faculty that mentored him, is what really drove him into making the impact he does today in students' lives. After a few years of working in program evaluation, he stumbled upon an opening at the first college he attended: Northern Michigan University.

"I wanted to go back to the university close to my home to help students get through college, but with fewer hurdles and costs than I did," Jason says.

The position was to be the director of institutional research, and while he admitted that he wasn't ready for it, he still landed the job. In his time working at NMU, he's been able to build an institutional effectiveness office, devoted to helping students make the most out of their experience in higher education.

"I take my role at NMU very seriously, and make sure that we pay attention to what barriers students are experiencing, and what programming helps them to overcome those struggles and thrive in college. Nobody really knows about our tinkering in the background, but it has the potential to have a huge impact on student outcomes. I love that part," he says.

Jason's experience being mentored by MSU Moorhead's faculty has left a lasting impact on him and has given him the drive to guide others in nearly every facet of life. While this plays out in students' lives through his work at NMU, he has also mentored others in his free time through volunteering with the Mandela Washington Fellowship and NMU's Student Leader Fellowship Program.

Jason credits his time at MSUM, and the faculty especially, with providing him clarity in where his trail should lead, and igniting a fire in him for being able to impact others in the way he was mentored early in his life.

"My time at MSUM was so formative. Without those faculty relationships, I have no idea where I would have ended up," Jason said. "I will always be grateful to the dedicated faculty and staff at MSUM, particularly those in the psychology department."