{"id":1902,"date":"2026-06-04T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T08:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/?p=1902"},"modified":"2026-05-29T20:25:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T20:25:56","slug":"first-generation-college-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/2026\/06\/04\/first-generation-college-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Leading with Empathy: Kayleigh Garcia Finds Her Place in the Herd"},"content":{"rendered":"
For Kayleigh Garcia, finding her place at Marshall University didn\u2019t happen all at once, but once it did, it transformed everything.<\/p>\n

\"Kayleigh<\/p>\n

A junior psychology major from Cowen, West Virginia, Kayleigh is minoring in pre-medicine, chemistry, biology and Spanish, building a strong academic foundation for her ultimate goal: attending medical school and becoming a psychiatrist to serve the Appalachian region she calls home.<\/p>\n

Kayleigh\u2019s Marshall experience has been about more than academics \u2013 it\u2019s been about growth, connection and involvement.<\/p>\n

As a first-generation college student, Kayleigh credits programs like TRIO and Upward Bound with not only helping her get to college but also thrive once she arrived.<\/p>\n

\n\t I\u2019m eternally grateful for all of the support I\u2019ve received.<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t- Kayleigh Garcia<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m eternally grateful for all of the support I\u2019ve received,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Kayleigh\u2019s decision to attend Marshall was rooted in something simple but meaningful: how the campus made her feel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a very nature-oriented person, and I knew my environment would be important,\u201d Kayleigh said. \u201cNow, I really appreciate being able to take a deep breath of fresh air on campus after a stressful test.\u201d<\/p>\n

That sense of peace helped shape her college experience.<\/p>\n

Kayleigh\u2019s interest in psychology comes from a lifelong curiosity about people and a deep sense of empathy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to give back to this world in a way that I know I can excel, which is working with people,\u201d she said. \u201cI truly believe this world could always do with more empathy for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kayleigh<\/p>\n

From rigorous science courses in her pre-med minor, Kayleigh is building the skills she needs for medical school while exploring her broader interests.<\/p>\n

She serves as program coordinator for Psi Chi, has held multiple leadership roles within the Honors College and previously led the Study Abroad Club. She\u2019s also involved in the Buddy System, STEM Alliance, First2Network and pre-AMSA.<\/p>\n

Each experience, she said, has shaped her growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting involved has had a significant impact on me as a person,\u201d Kayleigh said.<\/p>\n

Her leadership experiences began in the Honors College, which she describes as \u201ca home away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t I arrived with the analytical mindset of a STEM student. I returned with a newfound appreciation for the humanities and a broader way of seeing life.<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t- Kayleigh Garcia<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about striving for something greater \u2014 community engagement, service and a well-rounded education,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Some of Kayleigh\u2019s most meaningful experiences have come from stepping outside her comfort zone.<\/p>\n

Through a study abroad opportunity, she traveled to Ireland for the first time, an experience that reshaped her perspective.<\/p>\n

\"Kayleigh<\/p>\n

\u201cI arrived with the analytical mindset of a STEM student,\u201d Kayleigh said. \u201cI returned with a newfound appreciation for the humanities and a broader way of seeing life.\u201d<\/p>\n

From exploring Celtic mythology to connecting with people across cultures, Kayleigh embraced every moment including overcoming her fears of traveling abroad alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like to let fear stop me from living life,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s always a great feeling to know I conquered something I was scared to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Alys<\/p>\n

Kayleigh has also taken part in the BOLD Women\u2019s Leadership program, where she\u2019s continued to grow both personally and professionally. From leadership retreats to conferences, the program has helped her build confidence and teach her the skills she needs to succeed.<\/p>\n

When Kayleigh first arrived on campus, she wasn\u2019t sure she would find her place. As an introvert with social anxiety, she expected to navigate college mostly on her own.<\/p>\n

That changed when she got involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t until I joined my first club that I started to feel like I belonged,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s something I truly love about Marshall \u2014 we support each other like a family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, she hopes her story helps others find that same sense of belonging she did, only sooner.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want every student that comes to Marshall to know they belong here,\u201d Kayleigh said. \u201cThey\u2019re not alone.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Kayleigh Garcia, finding her place at Marshall University didn\u2019t happen all at once, but once it did, it transformed everything. A junior psychology major from Cowen, West Virginia, Kayleigh is minoring in pre-medicine, chemistry, biology and Spanish, building a strong academic foundation for her ultimate goal: attending medical school and becoming a psychiatrist to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-moments"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/198"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1902"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1910,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1902\/revisions\/1910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}