WKU News

For senior Aaron Nagra, college was not originally in the plan. Nagra is a first-generation college student from Louisville, KY, studying History with minors in Legal Studies and Religious Studies. He chose to attend WKU after seeing the campus for the first time. 

“I didn’t intend to go to college. I finished high school with a 1.9 GPA because college was not a path I intended to go down. I visited a couple of schools and I remember the [WKU] tour guide saying, ‘if it doesn’t feel like home, don’t go there’. Almost immediately, how can you not fall in love with the campus itself?”

He chose to study History after finding he had a knack for the subject. “I remember as a kid when my mom was getting her citizenship, I would help flashcard test her. Then, I’d go into class and take a Social Studies test and do well. Next thing you know, you're into history.”

Within the History Department, Nagra has had the opportunity to be a part of the History Ambassador program. Started by WKU History alumni Tommy Sullivan and Lane Price, this program’s mission is to serve as a bridge between students and the department. In this role, Nagra helped host events for current History majors and reach out to alumni for speaking engagements within the department. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered what the History Ambassador program has been able to do in recent years, Nagra can still pinpoint the skills he gained from getting involved. 

“We just set our minds to trying to be a bridge between the department and actual students. The History Ambassadors were given so much independence as an organization that it really taught me a lot about how to handle a project on my own. [I learned] how to plan something out, how to make a proposal, get funding, and then put something together.”

When asked about the best part of his WKU experience so far, Nagra emphasizes the impact that his professors have had on his growth as a student. 

“For me, the best part about WKU has really been meeting with professors, engaging with professors, and just getting smarter from them. That direct link--that’s what college is about.”

For Nagra, Hilltopper Spirit means getting to be a part of WKU’s campus.

“One of the best parts of WKU is the campus itself. When I think of WKU, I really do think of living and loving the campus. To be on the Hill—Where else would you want to be?”

To all incoming first-generation college students, Nagra says to “get rid of that imposter syndrome now”.

“You have worked just as hard as anyone else to be here. This is the time to really show what you can do. You need to trust in yourself and not doubt yourself and realize that you deserve to be here just as much as anyone else.”

After graduating in May 2022, Nagra hopes to work for the National Park Service as an Interpreter or get more involved in Louisville charities. He is also thinking about going to law school for non-profit or international law.

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To learn more about earning a degree in History at WKU, visit wku.edu/history/