Ana’s Way: A First-Gen Journey to Grad School and Giving Back

Ana Diaz-Orozco knows what it means to find a way forward—especially when there isn’t a clear path ahead.

Today, she serves full-time as the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), mentoring students and helping them unlock their potential. But Ana’s story started like so many others—with questions, uncertainty, and the brave decision to be the first in her family to go to college.

Growing up close to her family, Ana knew she didn’t want to stray too far from home. UNO offered her the perfect balance: close enough to stay connected, yet far enough to grow independently. With the support of the Susan T. Buffett Scholarship, she moved into the dorms and began her journey as a first-generation college student—navigating a world her parents had never experienced.

“I was the first one in my family to go to college,” Ana recalls. “That was scary. But the scholarship made everything click. I could live on campus, build relationships, and get involved in student life.”

At UNO, Ana double-majored in Psychology and Latino/Latin American Studies, combining her passion for mental health with a deep desire to explore and affirm her cultural identity. Her academic choices weren’t just strategic—they were personal.

“I wanted to learn more about my culture while also applying it to psychology,” she explains. “I wanted to help people better understand what they’re going through.”

By the time she neared graduation, Ana wasn’t ready to leave the classroom behind. “I love learning,” she says. “I just wanted to keep going.”

Still, graduate school came with new challenges. Fewer scholarships. Higher costs. And more questions.

But Ana found another door.

After landing a full-time position at UNO in the OLLAS office—a space she had once been introduced to as an undergrad—Ana learned about the university’s employee benefit: tuition remission. With her education now financially within reach, she enrolled in an online master’s program through the University of Nebraska at Kearney, choosing a schedule that allowed her to balance both work and school.

Her path wasn’t always smooth. Ana candidly shares how the graduate school experience felt lonelier, more independent, and less supported than what she had experienced as an undergrad.

“As a first-gen student, I didn’t know how to ask for help in grad school,” she says. “And when I did, sometimes I didn’t get the response I needed. It was discouraging.”

Still, Ana persisted. She leaned on her supervisor, her cousin who had attended graduate school, and the support network she had built at UNO. She discovered the power of asking for help—and of being over-prepared. “I asked three people for recommendation letters, even though I only needed two. One fell through, and I was so grateful I had the backup.”

While completing her degree, Ana interned with UNO’s Summer Scholars Program, mentoring high school seniors exploring college life. It was a full-circle moment. “I loved that they got to live in the dorms, ride the shuttle, and get a real taste of what college could be like,” she says. “They were getting a glimpse of what I had once been so unsure of.”

Now a graduate of her program, Ana sees the direct impact her degree has on her work. At OLLAS, she advises scholarship recipients—many of whom are first-gen students like she once was—offering the kind of guidance she had to seek out herself. She’s also the advisor for Sigma Lambda Gamma, a multicultural sorority on campus, where she’s passionate about empowering women with the tools and resources she once had to dig for.

“I love being able to provide what I didn’t have,” Ana says. “If I can make their journey even a little easier, it’s all worth it.”

Ana dreams of someday running her own educational nonprofit, focused on helping first-generation students and their families understand and navigate college and graduate school. With her passion for learning, her love for Omaha, and her deep-rooted commitment to uplifting her community, that dream feels entirely within reach.

“If I could tell my younger self anything,” Ana says, “it would be: Be kind to yourself. You’re doing something hard, and you’re doing it well.”

For Ana, graduate school was more than just another degree. It was a declaration—a way to honor her parents’ sacrifices, raise the number of Latinas with advanced degrees, and show others that there is a way. Education grows opportunity. And when that opportunity is met with heart, grit, and support—it grows even more.

Thinking about graduate school? You’re not alone—and you don’t have to go it alone. Like Ana, you can find support, funding, and a path that works for you. Reach out. Ask questions. And take that first step. There is a way.

Explore UNO's robust graduate program offerings! If you have questions related to a specific program of study, you can reach out to the Program Contact listed within the program’s information. If you have general questions and are not sure where to start, contact the Office of Graduate Studies and we will be happy to guide you.