It’s the First-Generation College Celebration!
Expanding your boundaries with CHS’ Justin Simpson
By Ryan Clark
CHS Communication Director
Justin Simpson is working on his third college degree — but that doesn’t mean the experience has gotten easier.
In fact, it just means there are new challenges.
The Clinical Leadership and Management major from Bardstown, Ky., is a first-generation college student, but with the help of advisors, he’s navigated the world of higher education — multiple times.
Twenty-seven percent of UK’s undergraduate population are first-generation students, meaning their parents or guardians do not have a four-year degree.
This week is UK’s First-Generation College Celebration, and here in the College of Health Sciences, we’re highlighting some of our own first-gen students to tell their stories. Since the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and FirstGen Forward (FGF, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success) hosted the inaugural celebration in 2017, hundreds of higher education institutions, corporations, government officials, non-profits and K-12 schools have joined together in recognizing the achievements of the first-gen community on and around Nov. 8.
So, here’s five questions with the prospective Spring 2027 graduate Justin Simpson:
Why did you decide on UK and your major?
I have been an employee at UK Healthcare since my graduation from EKU in 2018. After spending four years in Healthcare, I decided this is exactly what I wanted to do for my long-term career. Being a UK employee, it made sense to take advantage of the Employee Education Program.
How has it been navigating the world of Higher Ed as a First-Gen student?
This will be my third college degree, so navigating the world has both become a lot easier and a lot harder. I now have to budget for rent, food, car payments, bills and retirement. Being an undergraduate the first time around seemed intimidating at first, but now I realize how much easier it was to obtain a degree while staying in a residence hall on campus.
Has there been any one person or program that has helped you the most?
I worked closely with a residence hall coordinator during my tenure at EKU who really opened my eyes to the rest of the world. He provided me with the opportunity to work my first job and challenged me to be my better self every single day. Without his guidance, I would not of recorded my first ever 4.0 GPA average during my final year of my degree. I credit him with forming me into the person I am today.
What are your future career goals?
I will always consider myself a lifetime student. I believe that there is always more to learn, and we should always be open to the idea of expanding our boundaries and mindset. I plan on working in healthcare for a long time to come, progressively working my way towards managing an outpatient clinic or series of clinics.
What advice would you give to First-Gen students interested in CHS?
A lot of students are coming out of a worldwide pandemic that saw severe interruptions to their education. As a first year, utilize your resources and learn what study method works best for you. UK offers students a wide variety of resources to use, including tutoring, counseling, and specific first-generation services. CHS does a great job at setting you up with an academic advisor that will come up with a degree path that best fits your needs. They post weekly announcements about updates to the program, scholarship opportunities, volunteer services, and they host a wide variety of events where you can meet fellow students and learn more about what opportunities await you in your future career.
Caption: Justin Simpson and his wife Kendall after her recent graduation from the University of Kentucky with a PhD. in Toxicology and Cancer Biology.