WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new book about first generation professionals in higher education features the
writing of Patricia “Tricia” Smith, Radford University associate vice president for student life, and former
Radford University president Brian O. Hemphill.
The two co-wrote the final chapter, “Pathways to Senior Leadership” of “First-generation Professionals in
Higher Education: Strategies for the World of Work,” a book recently released by The Center for First-
generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA and The Suder Foundation. The book investigates the
complexities related to the transition from college or professional school to the work world of higher
education, as well as the advancement from mid- to senior-level leadership, and how first-generation
professionals navigate these transitions.
“The narrative of first-generation students is just beginning to emerge as a story of resilience and
persistence framed in strength and asset-based language. Professionals identifying as first-generation
college students have always known this, but the story has often been told using deficit language,” said
Dr. Mary Blanchard Wallace, assistant vice president for student experience at the University of Alabama
at Birmingham and the book’s primary author. “Each contributor in this book share the first-generation
professional identity, and I am so proud of the narratives we were able to capture and elevate.”
Framing their ten chapters in the asset-based lens of cultural capital, the fifteen contributors to the book
approach topics of navigating the field of higher education as first-generation professionals through
personal experience as well as evidence-based approaches and strategies.
“Our chapter focuses on our journeys as first generation students who have risen to senior leadership
positions on college campuses,” said Smith. “It includes reflections, words of wisdom, and best practices
for that journey. This is exactly what we do for first generation students at Radford University – pull back
the curtain, make the path clear, and live as possibility models.”
Organized in three sections-Professional Identity, Purposeful Interaction, and Career Path-the book
examines concepts such as imposter syndrome, politics, financial literacy, resilience, networking,
mentoring, career progression, and more. Each chapter includes activities, exercises, and questions for
reflection, offering readers an opportunity to discern strategies for their own professional development.”
As we continue to grapple with the experiences of first-generation college students, the professional
identity of first-generation leaders, scholars, and practitioners emerges for necessary consideration. It is
because of First-generation Professionals in Higher Education: Strategies for the World of Work that we
can further contextualize lived experiences and better support the field,” said Dr. Sarah E. Whitley,
assistant vice president with the Center for First-generation Student Success, NASPA. “The Center is
grateful for the leadership of Dr. Mary Blanchard Wallace and the contributions from many influential
first-generation leaders for creating a first-of-its-kind, expert resource.”
-Radford University
