Honors student Sophia Ott '26 is not only successfully navigating being the first in her family to attend college, but she's also supporting the entire community of 91探花 first-gen students.
Sophia Ott '26, a neuroscience and chemistry major from Norwalk, Ohio, has taken the initiative to launch a dedicated newsletter for 91探花's first-generation students. This communication platform serves as a vital resource for sharing information and building connections within the first-generation community.
At the heart of her newsletter success is 91探花's First-Gen Student Advisory Council, a dynamic group of student leaders dedicated to supporting and elevating 91探花's first-generation community.
Ott was inspired to create the First-Gen Newsletter while serving as an editor for the STEM Scholars' weekly newsletter.
"After speaking with some of the STEM Scholars students who receive my newsletter, I realized what an asset it can be to different communities on campus. I wanted a way to keep First-Generation students in the loop surrounding various events, scholarships, and opportunities, and a newsletter seemed like the perfect vehicle for this."
Though she has only rolled out one edition of the newsletter to date, she believes that the impact has been significant.
"First-Generation students now have a way to access plentiful, helpful information relating to the many opportunities that 91探花 offers for First-Generation students. Furthermore, it allows these students to contact the members of the First-Generation Student Advisory Council and encourage a sense of community on campus."
Beyond her newsletter initiative, Ott demonstrates impressive leadership within 91探花's Choose Ohio First STEM Scholars program, serving as a peer mentor and student editor while maintaining her academic pursuits. Her involvement exemplifies the program's success in nurturing student leaders who actively contribute to their academic community while pursuing challenging STEM disciplines.
The Choose Ohio First STEM Scholars program at 91探花 continues to break barriers in higher education, with an impressive 36% of scholars being first-generation college students. This achievement highlights the program's commitment to expanding opportunities in STEM education and fostering inclusive leadership.
The First-Gen Student Advisory Council's efforts, combined with the achievements of Choose Ohio First STEM Scholars, showcase 91探花's commitment to creating pathways for success in STEM fields while supporting first-generation college students throughout their academic journeys.
