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Destiny poses with her mother, whom she considers to be the most important role model in her life.

When I was seven years old, my step-grandmother gave me my first college t-shirt: pink, with the words “Virginia Tech” sprawled across the front in green. College was never an expectation growing up, as neither my mom or dad attended further education after high-school. With the bar set low, I have exceeded both of my parents’ expectations throughout my years of schooling.

As the oldest child in my family, with a younger brother four years under me, I have been the guinea pig of the family since the day I was born. From the first day of high-school, every experience was completely new and the start of senior year was no different.

I knew I wanted to attend Virginia Tech right when I received that simple t-shirt, so it came as no surprise when I fell in love with the campus. After my official visit over spring break of my junior year, I knew that I would be applying early decision as soon as possible.

When senior year began, I had already applied to Virginia Tech. As ninety-percent of the senior class was savoring their last weeks of summer, I was sitting at my laptop completing my early admission application. Early decision is a major decision, as it is binding, so I recommend that you consider all options before you apply.

After sending in my application, I realized the process had only begun. With today’s economy, college is practically impossible to afford. Living in a single parent home with an income stretched to its limits, the search for scholarships was and still is, imperative in order to pay for my future education.

When most seniors see “Robin Roth” as the subject line in their inboxes, they quickly press delete. While ignoring the incessant emails may be easier, it is these same emails that have given me at least five more scholarship opportunities of over ten thousand dollars worth of money. Even though this is only one semester of the average year at any college, specifically Tech, every bit counts. There are literally scholarships for everything and even if it may not seem like a lot of money it all adds up. Already applying to over forty-thousand dollars worth of scholarship money, I still continue to fill out applications and look endlessly for more opportunities.

Another very important piece of advice is to make create relationships with your counselor and teachers. Ms. An has been one of the most important people in this college-decision making process and I will never forget the attention she gave me whenever I entered her office. As well as Ms. An, Mr. Weintraut was definitely the most important person throughout my high school experience. His faith in my abilities, as well as his desire to push me to my limits forced me to continue to strive to be the best student I could be. Without the help and experience of my teachers, I fully believe that the process of getting into college would have been a much greater challenge.

On Dec. 11 my hard work paid off when I opened my phone and saw the words “Congratulations” flash across my view. After throwing my phone across the room while my daycare students looked at me with fear and concern, I screamed to the world that a Gammon was finally going to attend college. Right away, I called my dad in hysterics, not completely understanding what had just happened. After ten years, my dreams had come true: I would be attending Virginia Tech with the expectation of becoming an elementary school teacher. While all seniors love the feeling of being accepted into college, for my family this meant a brand new chapter and experience.

Although I’d like to avoid turning this into a long list of thank-yous and shout-outs, I could not have become the woman I  am today without my parents. Despite their very different upbringings, they have always had complete faith in me, trusting me to make the best decisions for my own self. Through instilling responsibility and independence into my daily routine, I was able to push through the busiest years of my life in order to prepare for even busier ones to come.

Being a first generation college student has forced me to step up and make my own decisions. With no direction or bias, my opportunities have been endless from picking my college, to deciding my future occupation I have had no limits. Although my mom and dad have been unable to give me advice in regards to the college-decision making process, they have been the most supportive parents I could ever ask for. Knowing that I am the first one in my entire family to attend college is one of the most exciting experiences in my life, and I hope that I can fulfill the expectations that both my family and I have set for myself.