For Wayland Baptist University historian Dr. Estelle Owens, the word “pioneer” has a special significance. Once a label once described a family stepping into the unknown, now it describes her university–an institution committed to ensuring that every first-generation student has the tools, encouragement, and faith community to thrive.
Dr. Owens and her siblings were raised in the lean years following the Great Depression and World War II. “Our parents had no opportunity to earn a college degree,” she says. “They worked hard, valued education, and believed their children should aim higher.”
Scholarships, campus jobs, and the National Defense Student Loan Act made college possible for the three Owens children. Each found mentors who invested in them—not only with advice, but with a belief in their potential. “Being first-generation college students made us pioneers in our family,” she says. “Nobody ever promised it would be easy, but God was always Jehovah Jireh—the One who provides. And we not only survived being first-gen college students, we thrived.”
More than 50 years later, that same spirit of provision and perseverance continues to define Wayland’s approach to student success. More than 42 percent of Wayland students enrolled at the Plainview campus for the 2024-2025 academic year were the first in their families to attend college. Systemwide, more than 40 percent of Wayland undergraduates were first-generation students.
In recognition of its long-standing commitment to these students, Wayland was selected for the FirstGen Forward Network for 2025–2026. The national designation affirms the university’s growing portfolio of support programs—peer tutoring, a summer bridge program, peer mentoring, a freshman success course, and especially academic coaching—all designed to meet students where they are and help them finish strong. These initiatives reflect Wayland’s broader mission to expand opportunity across West Texas and beyond.
“At Wayland, first-generation students are part of our story and our strength,” said Dr. Donna Hedgepath, university president. “We are deeply committed to walking with them—from the moment they arrive on campus to the day they cross the stage—because their success shapes the future of our communities.”
That commitment is lived out daily through personal connection. Coaches like Karen Greer, testing coordinator and academic coach, work one-on-one with students to remove barriers that often stand in the way of success.
“Academic coaching is not remedial—it’s relational,” explains Greer, one of four academic coaches serving and supporting all students at Wayland’s Plainview campus. “We help students build time-management habits, organize major projects, prepare for exams, and set achievable goals. But we also mentor, celebrate their successes, encourage self-confidence, and help them rediscover why they started this journey.” Coaches routinely help students design personalized success plans, connect them to resources, and coach them to cultivate a growth mindset. On some days, the most important thing they provide may be perspective—or even just a smile and a snack.
Dr. Cindy McClenagan, vice president of academic affairs, said that kind of care defines Wayland’s campus culture. “We see the difference it makes when students know they belong here,” she said. “Academic coaching, mentoring, and our faith-based environment work together to ensure first-generation students don’t just get to college—they thrive while they’re here.”
Beyond individual coaching, Wayland’s Department of Student Success, directed by Dr. Rosemary Peggram and with the guidance of the FirstGen Forward Network, is developing new ways to identify and engage first-generation students earlier. Posters around campus, chapel testimonials, and a QR-code registry encourage students to self-identify, while the newly formed First Generation Student Ambassadors organization offers peer-to-peer support. Together, these efforts are building a campus culture where first-generation identity is celebrated.
For Dr. Owens, that transformation feels deeply familiar. “We learned that there is always a way, regardless of the challenges we face,” she says. “What began as an adventure of faith for my family has become a Wayland tradition.”
From the early days of hand-typed scholarship applications to today’s data-driven coaching programs, Wayland’s story has been one of faith, persistence, and community. As the university continues its work through the FirstGen Forward Network, its mission remains unchanged: to help every student—especially those first in their family—discover that they, too, can pioneer the way forward.
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