Memories of Goodrich

Goodrich gave me the tools, support and confidence to navigate college successfully. I'm forever grateful for the faculty that saw the potential in me. My Goodrich classes always felt like a safe space. --C.Conrad

As a first-generation freshman the simple idea of college was scary. Starting at UNO I had my group of friends, and I was always comfortable. UNO's diverse student body and staff made fitting in so easy. When I received the Goodrich scholarship my sophomore year, I hadn't realized how much my college experience would change. I remember one particular day I was going through something rough, and something seemed to reel me into the suite. Carol instantly knew something was wrong and reached out to me. I knew in this moment that I was in a place where they truly cared. It felt like home. After this day I found myself coming to the suite more often. Everyone was always so kind and welcoming whether I knew them or not. The staff took the time to have real conversations and greeted me by name. This became home to me, the place on campus that I knew I belonged at and that I knew would always be there. As a senior, going through the pandemic having to take most of my classes online has really changed the college experience for me and took away being able to go to the suite to hang out between classes. One thing for sure, the amount of support coming from Goodrich in these hard times has helped so much. Just knowing that there's a support group that is readily available to me composed of individuals that are genuinely interested in me as a person and are aware of my future goals and are always willing to help makes my college experience the best it could be. Goodrich has not only had a great impact on my college experience and education but also my life. Cindy L

Being a Goodrich scholar was transformational for me. As both a first generation college student and a non-traditional student I was terrified to go to college. But the structure and support of the Goodrich faculty, staff, and classes gave me the academic foundation to not only survive the college system, but to thrive in it and beyond.
Since graduating, I went graduate school, became a Visual Arts college instructor, and have gone onto exhibit my Art across the nation and around the world. All things I would have never have dreamed of before college.
My biological father was a first generation American with an eighth grade education. When I look back at his 20th Century experience, I fully see and appreciate how the Visual Arts and education have transformed my experience into the rich, full life and career it has become. I have the Goodrich Scholarship Program to thank for that. I don't know where I would have ended up without it.
--Bart V
Thank you Goodrich!

It gave me a way to escape poverty. My brother and I were the first in our family to go to college. We both give back to the community any way we are able. Barbara B

Honestly, it was upon acceptance. At that time in my life, I felt very discouraged although I desired more of an education. Being provided the opportunity with Goodrich was the highest impact. --Angela C.

Being a Goodrich scholar was transformational for me. As both a first generation college student and a non-traditional student I was terrified to go to
college. But the structure and support of the Goodrich faculty, staff, and classes gave me the academic foundation to not only survive the college
system, but to thrive in it and beyond. Since graduating, I went graduate school, became a Visual Arts college instructor, and have gone onto exhibit
my Art across the nation and around the world. All things I would have never have dreamed of before college. My biological father was a first
generation American with an eighth grade education. When I look back at his 20th Century experience, I fully see and appreciate how the Visual
Arts and education have transformed my experience into the rich, full life and career it has become. I have the Goodrich Scholarship Program to
thank for that. I don't know where I would have ended up without it. Thank you Goodrich!

As a first generation student, I appreciated the supportive community Goodrich provided. Faculty, staff, and fellow Goodrichers would patiently guide me through the academic world, which felt foreign. They encouraged me to pursue my Master's in Social Work and thankfully, I made it in. The support beyond the classroom helped me stay afloat when I faced hardships in my personal life. Goodrich will always be my family and I'm forever grateful to have been welcomed in. My favorite memory within Goodrich were the friendships I've been blessed with through Goodrich. The one friendship connection that sticks out most is from freshman year. I was really shy but someone invited me to go ice skating at UNMC with them. It was so lovely and much needed after all the studying I had done that week. --Brigit

My story is not unique to Goodrich. Like so many other first generation college students from low income families, my dreams were made possible by the generosity of this scholarship. More importantly, the sense of community and support given from everyone involved in Goodrich made sure that we didn't fall through the cracks. We had every tool available to us to ensure we had success in college and in our careers beyond learning. I was lucky enough to also be a Stephenson-Harrington Intern and this is where I realized my calling to a life of public service. Now, 10 years after graduating college and finished a dual masters in social work and public administration, I have a career I love working for the Iowa Department of Public Health. So many of the values I hold near and dear to me were fostered by Goodrich. I will always be grateful for the opportunities provided to me by Goodrich! Every class taken with my Goodrich cohort was truly impactful for me. I vividly remember my first semester of college taking HUMN 1200 (Autobiographical Reading and Writing) with Dr. Okhamafe. It was one of my favorite classes and instilled in me a love for writing. His recurring advice to us was "to get high on the right leaves" (the leaves of knowledge and imagination) while shaking a novel at us. I have always taken that to heard and love reading to this day. --Brittany W

Goodrich was supportive, not overbearing. The program demanded that I study hard and showed me a glimpse of how a diverse atmosphere thrived. My favorite memory was Dr. Okhamafe. I was 19 years old when I took his class. He was one of many professors that demanded hard work and high standards. When I took his autobiographical reading and writing class I was required to ready six autobiographies, write six book reports, and a 20 plus page autobiography. Prior to his class, I had yet to read six books in four months ever. He and the class showed me it was possible through time management and hard work. When it was over, there was a tremendous feeling of accomplishment, personally and academically. The class showed me that I could make it through college. --Brian R

Goodrich was my rock while I was in college in my late teens I am eternally great full for the support staff that changed my life for better. Dr. Smith Dr. Okamafe and Patricia. They all provided me with much needed advice that aided both academically and personally. With out them I would not where I am today. --A. Stover