Heather Dloughy arrived at Springfield College in 2021 as the first one in her family to go to college. Uncertain about what to expect and how to navigate this new experience, Heather was grateful to learn about and become a part of the College’s First Generation Student Mentoring Program. The program paired her with mentor Kathy Mangano, professor of Physical Education, who guided her through the first year of college. That connection was so successful—and inspiring—for Heather that she became a mentor in the program and was assigned to first-gen student Bridget O’Brien. Heather continued participating and mentored two other students over the years. Hear from Heather about how she came full circle with the first-gen program.
Coming into college as a first-generation college student for me was a time of excitement but also uncertainty. As a first-gen student, I didn’t have any set expectations or ideas about what college was going to be like, as I didn’t have the ability to turn to my family to ask questions about anything college related, such as class registrations, balancing school and extracurricular activities, or even what dorm life would be like.
First Generation Student Mentoring Program quickly changed this for me and made a world of difference in my first year of college. As a first year student with a major in Sports Biology, trying to navigate difficult classes while also adapting to a brand new environment was not going to be an easy task. Before even stepping foot on campus for my first year at Springfield, I was paired up with a faculty member who was also a first-gen student once at Springfield College, Dr. Kathy Mangano. Through the mentor program, Dr. Mangano quickly became someone I could turn to with any questions I had about college life, even answering questions that my family had, too, as they knew just as much about college as I did.
Watching how much Bridget’s grown from the first time that I met her has been so rewarding. She’s involved with a variety of things on campus now and is on the E-board of the First Generation Club. Being able to help guide Bridget throughout her first few years at Springfield and watching her progress has been a constant reminder of the impact of this program on first-gen students and why I choose to be a mentor. I have since been a mentor to two other first-gen students while still keeping in touch with Dr. Mangano and Bridget, getting together every semester and seeing each other around campus. Our relationships have grown past a mentorship, one that may not have existed without the First Generation Student Mentoring Program.
About the author
Heather is a graduate student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Springfield College. She is passionate about helping others and making an impact on the people around her. She is involved in the first-generation program and is a tour guide on campus. Heather has enjoyed being on campus the last four years and looks forward to continuing to make a positive impact while at Springfield for graduate school.
