FIRST GEN FRIDAY: Social Work major, Jared Moody
First Gen Friday is a monthly first-person narrative written by other first generation college students who are now fellow faculty, staff, and students at Ohio State Marion. The goal of the stories is to provide advice to other first generation college students and create a sense of belonging among the campus community.
College at one point for me was nothing more than a fleeting thought. It was not due to one reason in particular; I just had always been unsure about the reality of having the opportunity to attend. I bounced around quite a bit as a child, moving from school to school and trying to integrate myself in a new community each time. It always seemed rather difficult to plant my feet and begin to look forward to that big concept known as the “future”. Even though I was relatively young at the time, it seemed like everyone else had dreams and aspirations while I was stuck in place. College also was not at the forefront of either of my parents’ minds, as they had already planted their feet in fields in which they loved. My mother enjoyed home-healthcare and being a resource for people, while my father found a love for factory life. There was no insertion of anti-college beliefs or dissuasion of further education, it was just more of a concept left unbothered. This placed the pursuits in the hands of myself, which was a daunting task to think about.
That daunting task started to get attention when I finally began to settle down and plant my roots in a community that I knew I was not going to be leaving anytime soon, right here in Marion. I had been to Galion, Iberia, and Butler all before this, but never got to really envelop myself with the people and opportunities of the city. Therefore, while I was born in Galion, I consider Marion to be my hometown. I resided with my dad here in Marion, who continued his factory pursuits alongside my stepmom, and I finally was able to blossom a healthy relationship with education and social relationships. I found that as I planted my feet and became comfortable, visions of the future started to become a part of my thought process. I moved on through middle school and eventually high school, giving thought to what I wanted to make of myself, learning to swim with the current of life rather than against it.
That all paved the way for my journey into college, where I now reside as a senior in the social work program and will be graduating in spring of 2026. Even though I spent a portion of my life with one arm, if not both tied behind my back, I have still managed to thrive in college and make so many great connections. It is so interesting in retrospect, because even as a senior on campus, one of the best pieces of advice I have been given during my education was by a freshman, who stated, “College experience is at the mercy of yourself”. There is no better parsimonious manner to put that in, and no truer.
On the Marion campus, you will have the resources you need to access opportunities. It all comes down to what you make of the offer. The reason I have thrived is because I took chances and I pursued opportunities. I did not care what they were, I knew that sitting idly by as the campus put opportunities in front of me would be disadvantageous. Yes, I was scared, but the fruits of my scared pursuits opened doors that I did not even know existed. I send this message to all incoming first-generation students; if you feel stuck or scared or alone, take that chance. Bite on that opportunity, go to campus outreach, go to campus events, sign up for that club, go to those office hours, go talk to that person standing in the cafe waiting for their morning coffee. Go make that friend, that connection, even possibly that further resource to look at in hindsight for a job opportunity. You never know how the smallest interaction can blossom into the greatest of opportunity.