Episode 64 — Balancing Happiness Alongside The Pressure of Being a First Generation College Student — with Nikki Navio

Immigrating to the U.S. as a child and being surrounded by a predominantly white area all your life is already challenging enough. Now, add the pressure of being expected to be the first generation in the family to attend college into the mix of things. Is it possible to find what you love to do with so much pressure from family? Are the only professions that would appear successful is to become a nurse, a doctor, or an engineer?Nikki Navio, a Phillipian immigrant, is now a transportation planner for metropolitan organization planning, for Utah’s Wasatch Front Regional Council; one of the fastest growing regions in the country. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a masters degree in City and Regional planning from Clemson University. Culturally, growing up, Nikki was always told to strive better for her family and had a lot of expectations put on her at an early age. Though, she never let that intimidation stop her and let her curiosity of all the world had to offer, along with some hard work, lead her to where she is today. On this episode of Success is Subjective, Nikki joins Joanna to share her story of how she found herself in the urban planning world after previously dropping out of her Master’s degree program, out of uncertainty in what she wanted to do with her life. She explains how her many passions eventually led her to what she loves to do and how she continues to strive to find fulfillment in all she does. Listen in for insight on Nikki’s inspirational and rocky career journey and how she stays focused on striving to be successful in her own eyes, and no one else’s.What You Will LearnNikki’s childhood backgroundWhat Nikki’s family’s expectations were around post secondary education  What Nikki’s community’s expectations were, in which she was raised, around post secondary educationNikki’s education journey through grade school and collegeWhere Nikki is now in life What Nikki does for a living and all that it entailsHow Nikki views her ‘success’ What success means to NikkiHow important prioritizing fulfillment and happiness is in anything you doHow to navigate the struggles that come with being a first generation college student The importance of valuing yourself, no matter your backgroundHow to narrow down and make sense of it all, when being multi-passionateConnect with Nikki NavioNikki Navio on InstagramEmail [email protected] Navio at Wasatch Front Regional CouncilNikki Navio on LinkedInConnect with Joanna Lilley  Lilley ConsultingLilley Consulting on Instagram Lilley Consulting on Facebook Sponsored by: www.ParentTrainers.comEmail [email protected]