Tim Jares
Dean, College of Business and Technology
What was the toughest thing you had to overcome to attend college?
I’m not sure how my parents did it, but it was never a question for my brothers and me. Sure, funds were tight. I think my parents gave me $500 total. The rest of my funds came from scholarships, summer earnings, jobs while in school and loans. The bottom line for me was that I always knew a college education was an expectation, not an option.
Best advice for a first-generation student thinking about going to college?
College is an option. It is really that simple. Where there is a will, there is a way. I truly believe your education is the single best investment you’ll ever make in your life. But you have to be smart about that education, so look for a return on your investment.
Who was your biggest supporter in attending college? How did they help you?
My parents, somehow, set the expectation that their four boys would be college graduates, perhaps because my parents were unable to go. In looking back, that expectation seemed to drive me. I also had to pay, or find scholarships to help pay, for my education and living expenses, so that motivated me as well.
