Video Interviews
These interviews feature community college graduates (and near graduates) and first-generation students reflecting on their academic journeys in their own words. Each video offers insight into the motivations, challenges, and decisions that shaped their experience—from first-day anxiety to choosing majors, managing work and school, and building relationships on campus. You’re invited to listen deeply, pause where something resonates, and share these stories with students or colleagues who may benefit from them. When viewing these interviews, please:
Do not download, repost, or share the videos outside of this site.
Approach the stories with the same care and respect you would in a face-to-face conversation.
Thank you for helping protect and honor the voices of our students.
There are two ways to navigate the video library.
To get to popular themes or to return back to the full video library, use the “skip to” feature below.
To follow smaller themes, note that each video post has tags listed at the bottom of the description page. Click on a tag to get to other videos with the same tag.
Click on the student’s photo to get to their full interview.
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Brandon
FROM DOING ‘EVERYTHING YOU SHOULDN’T DO’ AS A STUDENT TO BECOMING A FACULTY MENTOR
Brandon teaches in the Business Department at Harold Washington College. He is a first-generation college student who attended the University of Missouri and majored in journalism and advertising. Brandon recounts some challenges he had while in college, and reports that his biggest obstacle in college was developing confidence that he belonged there. While a student, he found it extremely important to develop relationships with faculty members. His message to students: “utilize your faculty members.”