First-Generation College Celebration Spotlight Series: Ryker Eggenberger

The English Department is thrilled to celebrate National First-Generation College Celebration day all month long.

Ryker Eggenberger is a student the Creative Writing master’s program at USU and a graduate instructor for the English Department. As a first-generation college student, Ryker notes his experience was different than he anticipated. He didn’t hear about college much growing up and got his associate’s degree through online classes from a community college during the pandemic, so he didn’t know what to expect before coming to USU. He comments, “When I came to USU, I was super pleased with how many friends I made on campus. I felt like I was in a community of friends more than the kind of freshman experience that I've seen in movies and T.V. shows. It was awesome, and continues to be, to have so many friends who are all so passionate about the same thing I'm passionate about.” 

Now, teaching English 1010, Ryker is interested to hear from students who have had different experiences than him. “I see students go from high school to college straight into my class. Because my experience was so different from theirs, one of my most valuable experiences as an instructor so far has been learning more about the value of education and the academic community from their perspectives,” he says.

Ryker reflects on the importance of hearing from people of all upbringings: “I love how everyone comes from diverse backgrounds and works so hard to put themselves through school. As a graduate student, I'm pretty fond of academia and place a lot of value in learning, so it makes me really happy to see others who recognize that value and work hard to bring their unique identities to the table so we can all learn more from each other.”

Ryker’s biggest advice for first-generation college students is for them to keep following their dreams and working toward their goals, even if there are challenges and barriers. “College is a great place to learn and become educated, find new opportunities, and participate in an academic community,” Ryker says, “and you can make that into as much or as little as you want. Try not to stress out about school; balance in your school/work/social life will come with time, so try your best to make the most of every opportunity that you can through the university to learn and be what you love!”

November 8th is the annual National First-Generation College Celebration day, which “strives not only to celebrate first-gen students’ contributions to their communities but also to occasion systemic social change by dismantling barriers to first-generation student success.” The English Department is thrilled to celebrate and spotlight our first-generation faculty and graduate instructors all month long.