Wesley Vaught: First-Generation Story

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In honor of National First-Generation Student Celebration Week, the office of New Student & Family Programs will highlight a different story from a first-gen student each day. Read below to learn about Wesley Vaught's story! To read more first-generation stories, visit firstgen.uark.edu.

Vaught is a student involved in many things, such as being a lab manager for CODA Lab, SI leader for CHEM 2613 and a research assistant in two other labs. He is from Marion, Arkansas.

We asked him the following questions and have included his responses:

What does it mean to you to be a first-generation student/graduate?

Short answer: it's a big deal. A lot of people have worked various types of hard, laborious jobs for me to come to the University of Arkansas. From my Aunt Tena, my brothers Darren and J.B., and my mom and dad, they all have put faith in me and helped me get to this point, so just to be here, I think, is a blessing. My being the first one to go to college in my family provides me and my family a way to look forward, despite our hardships, with the knowledge of tools that will help us along our way.

Why is being a first-generation student/graduate important to you?

I did not start out as the only first-gen student in my family. I actually had a different last name when I started college. My sister, Chloe Vaught, graduated from Arkansas State University and eventually attended NYITCOM to become an osteopathic physician. During my sophomore year, she tragically passed, and I dealt with most of the aftermath of this situation. The person who once left breadcrumbs on the way to medical school was gone, and I had reached the end of the trail. Being a first-generation student is important for me because I get to finish my sister's journey to becoming a physician. While my path has looked a little different, my plan is complete an M.D./Ph.D. in cellular and molecular neuroscience, and as I tell most people, one doctorate degree is for her, one is for me. Nevertheless, there will be a Dr. Vaught.

What piece of advice would you give to first-generation students?

Your classmates will misunderstand you frequently. Be patient with them. The unique challenges of being a first-generation student is not one that most people are going to understand: difficulties finding resources, making those executive decisions like choosing classes or majors, what if I want to go to grad school or a pre-professional school. I want to reiterate, every student has the challenges, but they are so much harder when the answer to these questions are not a phone call away under the contact name "Mom" or "Dad." That is the contention point for most. But, just keep swimming, take a couple deep breaths (hopefully more), and do what you came here to do!

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself that you feel is important for people to know about you?

I think my story demonstrates an intersection of being a first-generation student and dealing with big, interpersonal problems along the way. While I always recommend talking to a professional, come talk to me about what life in Fayetteville is like for you. I do research, semi-teach and am a student. Let's talk about anything; here is my email: wbarrett@uark.edu.

Thank you for sharing your story!