First Gen of UMBC-Kabira Barlow First Gen Staff

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 16:59:40 -0500

Introducing Kabira Barlow!

Kabira works in the Department of Theatre after graduating in 2018 from American University with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations. She hopes to return to school for her Master’s in Strategic Communications and Work in entertainment.

“I really struggled when I first got to university because I felt like a small fish in such a big pond. I had also placed a lot of pressure on myself to make my family proud. It got a lot easier when I stopped thinking of attending school as a first-generation student in the context of something I was doing for my family, but instead framing it as something I was doing for myself. I wish I had someone to tell me about the emotional and mental toll university can have and how important self-care is as a student.