{"id":179393,"date":"2026-03-05T15:42:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T15:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/179393\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T15:42:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T15:42:13","slug":"collins-mccullough-and-norvell-share-first-generation-journeys-at-fsus-horizons-unlimited-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/179393\/","title":{"rendered":"Collins, McCullough and Norvell share first-generation journeys at FSU\u2019s Horizons Unlimited Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three FSU leaders who were the first in their families to attend college \u2014 Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Collins, President Richard McCullough and Head Football Coach Mike Norvell \u2014 shared their inspiring journeys of resilience and achievement, encouraging current first-generation students to pursue their dreams during Florida State University\u2019s third annual Horizons Unlimited Conference<\/a> on Tuesday, March 3.<\/p>\n

Led by FSU First Lady Jai Vartikar, the conference brought together first-generation students, alumni and university leaders for a day of personal stories and practical guidance aimed at helping students succeed in college and beyond.<\/p>\n

Participants attended sessions on topics such as overcoming adversity, building a professional brand and reflecting on personal journeys, while also connecting with fellow first-generation students, faculty and mentors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe in you, Florida State University believes in you,\u201d Vartikar said. \u201cBut most importantly, you have to believe in yourself. So, believe that you belong here and in every room that you want to be in. Your voice matters. Your horizons are unlimited and we can\u2019t wait to see what you become.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

FSU Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Collins gave the keynote address at the third annual Horizons Unlimited Conference for first-generation students Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. (Bill Lax\/Florida State University)First Lady Jai Vartikar delivers remarks at the third annual Horizons Unlimited Conference for first-generation students Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. (Bill Lax\/Florida State University)<\/p>\n

The event reinforced FSU\u2019s commitment to first-generation student success. Nearly a quarter of FSU\u2019s undergraduates are the first in their families to attend college, with many finding support through the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The day concluded with a keynote address from Collins, who shared his inspiring journey as a first-generation college student and as a leader in his field and community.<\/p>\n

Norvell introduced Collins before a packed audience at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. He emphasized that although the path to success may be unpredictable, it is essential to keep moving forward and seeking opportunities that get students one step closer to where they want to be.<\/p>\n

\"HeadHead Football Coach Mike Norvell motivates students with his remarks during the third annual Horizons Unlimited Conference for first-generation students Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. (Bill Lax\/Florida State University) <\/p>\n

\u201cThe road to success, even though you\u2019re going to go a lot of different directions \u2014 it\u2019s a willingness to take a step,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a willingness to go and to put yourself in a position, to grasp information, to grasp knowledge, to grasp the experiences that are going to put you in a position to achieve \u2014 to achieve and be the best that you can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Norvell challenged students to keep taking the next step even after graduation and to seek opportunities that place them where they can grow and make a difference.<\/p>\n

During his keynote address, Collins shared personal experiences and highlighted the importance of resilience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019ve learned is this: Resilience is built quietly, and it\u2019s something you live,\u201d he said. \u201cResilience isn\u2019t built on a stage. Mine was built long before I ever stepped onto this one. It was built in places that didn\u2019t look impressive at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"FSU Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Collins delivers the keynote address at the third annual Horizons Unlimited Conference for first-generation students Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. (Bill Lax\/Florida State University) <\/p>\n

He noted that the pressures many first-generation students carry \u2014 often balancing full-time work, managing financial anxiety and acting as translators for their families \u2014 build the very skills that prepare them to lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cResilience gets you in the room, but leadership keeps you there,\u201d Collins said. \u201cPeople had more experience, more knowledge, more credentials, more confidence. So, I did two things: I prepared relentlessly and I asked questions not to look smart, but to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collins also described his path from community college to Florida State University and how those early experiences helped prepare him to start his own company at age 33 while raising a young family.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Collins and FSU President Richard McCullough speak about their first-generation student experiences at the third annual Horizons Unlimited Conference for first-generation students Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. (Bill Lax\/Florida State University)Collins gives advice to students during the third annual Horizons Unlimited Conference for first-generation students Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. (Bill Lax\/Florida State University)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doubts you feel today, those aren\u2019t just qualifiers \u2014 they\u2019re preparation,\u201d Collins said. \u201cThe pressure you feel \u2014 preparation; the responsibility you carry \u2014 preparation. One day you\u2019ll sit in rooms where decisions are made. One day you\u2019ll lead teams, build companies, serve communities, shape institutions. And when that moment comes, you will not rise to the level of your ambition. You will rise to the level of your discipline; you will rise to the level of your resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collins and McCullough closed the evening by answering questions from students and offering advice drawn from their experiences as first-generation students and leaders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Three FSU leaders who were the first in their families to attend college \u2014 Board of Trustees Chairman…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":179394,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[6036,37342,74174,84825,84826,84827,84828,27517,80092,232,234,233],"class_list":["post-179393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-care","tag-center-for-academic-retention-enhancement","tag-center-for-academic-retention-and-enhancement","tag-first-gen","tag-first-generation","tag-horizons-unlimited-conference","tag-jai-vartikar","tag-peter-collins","tag-president-richard-mccullough","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179393\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}