Renee Hall earned dual bachelor’s degrees in English and Religious Studies from Michigan State University in 2010 and a master’s degree, also from MSU, in Rehabilitation Counseling in 2014. She has been an active member of the disability community for more than 20 years, serving in roles including advocate, direct support professional, service coordinator, counselor, and research specialist. She also is a first-generation college graduate.
This week, Nov. 3-7, is First-Generation College Celebration Week at MSU, the campus-wide celebration that uplifts the voices and achievements of first-generation Spartans while promoting belonging and connection across the university. The celebration comes at the same time as the national First-Generation College Celebration Day, annually held on Nov. 8 to commemorate the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965 by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson, which created federal financial aid programs to fund students’ educations and made key investments in colleges and universities.
In this Graduate Voice piece, Hall shares her experiences as a first-generation college graduate and how her MSU education has helped in her career.
I am a first-generation college graduate. My parents were extremely intelligent and well-read, but college wasn’t an option for them. From a very early age, they encouraged me to learn about anything and everything that interested me. I can still recall my father repeatedly saying, “One needs to know how the world works to be able to function in it.” I couldn’t agree more.
I love to read and will read anything and everything. I try to understand the worldviews of others and how those perspectives shape and guide their life choices. Other cultures and the history of how things are and came to be have always fascinated me. I’ve also been interested in the biographies of writers and how their experiences and biases influence their work.
I came to Michigan State University as an English major. I absolutely devoured everything I was taught and all the information I could get my hands on. The professors I encountered were so knowledgeable and encouraged me to explore, at length, aspects of the curriculum that were of special interest to me.
As an elective, I took a course offered by the Department of Religious Studies and immediately fell in love. It combined all the things that were important to me. Learning about the history of different religions of the world to better understand how people not only see the world but also move through it was captivating. I’m fortunate to have earned separate bachelor’s degrees from both programs.
As I approached the end of my undergraduate career, I began to consider how I could use my skills and interests to best help people. I met with the then-chair of the Rehabilitation Counseling Program. At the time, I was working in Career Services as a web developer, focusing on making web and media content accessible for people with disabilities. The program was a perfect fit. I was able to pair my understanding of world cultures and religions from my religious studies coursework with the critical thinking, analytical, and writing skills I developed in the English program. I received my master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling in 2014.
Today, I’m a certified rehabilitation counselor, or CRC, and have the privilege of serving as the advisor to the Self-Advocates of Michigan through the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council. I use all the skills I refined in my three MSU programs to help people with developmental disabilities advocate to live the lives of their choosing. My analytical skills help me work as a vocational research specialist and examine data as it pertains to people with disabilities.
My studies at MSU have helped me thrive in a career where I work alongside people from different cultures, religions, and worldviews to help them achieve their goals. I’ll be forever grateful for such amazing educators, curricula, and opportunities to learn and grow. Go Green!
