The First-Gen Lounge

I couldn't wait to tell you about my experience with the peanut butter, fried banana, and bacon burger the other week. Like... I can't wait to try it again because it's become one of my favorite. If …

How do you go from homeless to being a Gates Millenium Scholar? What do you do to pull yourself out of poverty to create a better life for yourself? How do you face the world as a bi-racial woman? In…

How has the way you were born and raised shaped you? Have you ever found yourself wanting to stretch your wings, try something new, but not really knowing how to go about doing it? Jay Hayes, a nativ…

I'm trying something a little new this week. In this week's episode, I'll be answering a question submitted by first-gen family member, Mike.

Book Dr. Eve: www.thepurposeprofessor.com/passthemic. Join…

How do you find your voice in a world that's constantly telling you who and what to be? How do you recognize when your voice has evolved? Even more, when you recognize the change, what do you do abou…

Happy 7-0-4! As a Charlotte, North Carolina native, this is one of my favorite days of the year... because it's 704. Anywho... Life can be a winding road; however, no matter how the path may be, one …

How does a Black woman with a successful career in tech end up becoming a full-time entrepreneur in interior design? Here's the answer: She found an outlet! It's important for all of us, no matter wh…

What do you do when you’re stuck? How long do you stay stuck? The trouble with being stuck is that, more often than not, we find ourselves in a negative head space that can put a damper on our overal…

Have you ever had an idea that you just set on because you didn't know what to do with it? Is that idea still something that you roll around in your mind? Can you imagine what your life would be if y…

For-profit or non-profit? Business suit or business casual? What is a mentor? How is a mentor different from a sponsor? Natural hair or relaxed? How can I express my individuality in the workplace? I…

Have you ever heard that saying that failure is not final? While there will be times in life when circumstances may not turn out as planned, that does not me it is the end for us. As a matter of fact…

What happens when organizations (like Students Rising Above--an organization committed to helping first-generation, low-income students thrive) invests in its youth? The doors of opportunity open, li…

Three years. Threeeeee years. The Purpose Professor Limited Liability Company turned THREE today. Wow! Super excited and reflective, I decided to share with you the nine (9) lessons that I've learned…

Celebrating TEN years of being a first-generation graduate--an alumnus of Shaw University. So, in this episode, it's no script or plan... I'm purely reflecting and sharing my honest thoughts and feel…

Where are my first-gen Mamas? Heeeey, Girl! I am super PROUD of you... and I see you, literally because... With us this week is a native of Southern California, Janet Reyes who is a Mexican-American …

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. So, I ask… What are you doing to take care of yourself? What are your self-care practices? Are you getting the help that you need to be emotionally well? Dr. Dan…

When you realize that something needs to change, do you sit back do nothing or dare to do something? One part of being a first-gen is learning to navigate the world AND realizing when to take action.…

Life is filled with so many transitions... so much change and all of the time. While we can expect for the changes to happen, we don’t always realize what those changes will mean to us once things se…

What do you do when you've worked hard all of your life just to get to your dream and realize you don't want it? Leander D. Williams, Jr. always wanted to be a lawyer. In his mind, it was the thing t…

True or False: Just because your parents didn’t go to college means they can’t inspire you to go. Answer: False. While Dr. Kamshia Child’s parents never went to college, bringing home the newspaper a…