Natasha Russ: A First-Generation College Student, Mother, and Published Author

My name is Natasha Russ, and I wear a lot of hats; I am a mother, a partner, a daughter, a sister, a first-generation college student, a mental health advocate, a proud Latina, a business owner, and a social justice advocate.

My life drastically changed when I was a junior in high school. Trying to get used to life post-lockdown, I found out I was pregnant and would be having my daughter during my senior year.

This could have stopped me, and I could have joined the large statistic of dropping out, but I didn’t and became the third person in my family to graduate from high school. 

However, I was faced with a new challenge, something no one in my family had ever done. I signed up for community college.

Attending community college has forever changed me; It was the first time I was exposed to people with higher education and thriving careers who looked like me, spoke my language, and ate the same food. Starting college, I had no idea what I wanted to do and was motivated by money.

That was until I took the course “Psychology 101”, where I fell in love with the subject and quickly changed my major.

I not only enjoy the psychology field but also excel. For the first time, I was a straight-A student and felt passionate about a career path.

I graduated from community college in May of 2024, earning two associate's degrees, as well as being the first college graduate in my family.

I transferred to Arizona State University and will be finishing my bachelor's degree this October.

Since transferring, I have been able to join multiple honors societies, be on the Dean’s List, publish my first scientific article, and obtain a job in my field that I love. I have also been presented with amazing opportunities like speaking at my old high school at college and career day as well as started my own digital marketing business.

Do not get me wrong, being a parent and a full-time student is not for the faint of heart, but it has completely altered my career path.

Because of my experience, I hope to eventually earn my doctorate degree and open my own resource center. I want to serve people in my community, especially first-generation students, young Latinos, and most importantly, parents. More than anything, I hope to be a part of minizing the gap in education for marginalized communities.

For those of you reading, I hope you take away the message that it is okay that your story doesn’t look like everyone else's. It's okay that your story has bumps and bends. And it is more than okay if you are unsure about what you want to do. I firmly believe that the right path will find you, because it sure has found me.