A Peek Into The Future: The First Gen Memphis Experience
When people come together to invest in students, beautiful things happen.
That’s the spirit that drives the Culverhouse College of Business’ first generation exploration trips to Memphis. It’s a journey that blends career discovery, personal growth, and the power of connection.
For the students who are selected for the trip, it’s not just a professional trip, it’s a snapshot of their future. Students prepare with Culverhouse staff in the weeks leading up. Once in Memphis, they get an inside look at real companies, an opportunity to build confidence and gain the tools and perspective to shape the careers they are working toward.
For the business leaders in Memphis who open their doors and share their stories, it’s a way to give back and make an impact on the next generation.
Each student comes home changed, more confident, more capable, and more certain of where they’re headed.
Clear path forward
The Fall 2025 Memphis trip marked a turning point for Emma Estes, one she didn’t quite expect. “I wasn’t going to apply for it,” said Estes, who is enrolled in the Master of Tax Accounting (MTA) program. “I didn’t really want to put myself out there in that way. I’m not the kind of person that puts myself in unfamiliar places.”
But going changed everything.
Estes’ path to Alabama had already been full of pivots. She started at a community college, unsure if she even wanted to attend college at all. She switched her major from biology to accounting, then pushed herself even further. “I decided I wanted to do the MTA program, but I didn’t really have room for an internship.” Networking became her biggest priority and that’s where Culverhouse’s First Gen Community stepped in.
With a graduate assistantship working with Quoc Hoang, director of experiential learning, Estes learned quickly the first generation program went far beyond advising and scholarships. “They remove barriers for students and make different things accessible.”
Memphis gave her exactly what she needed. At the alumni reception she met professionals and connections she could only access through this trip. “That was the most beneficial for me,” she said. “I’ve stayed in contact with them, and we’re seeing where they can support me.”
It also gave her clarity. “I was trying to decide between private industry accounting versus public accounting. Getting to meet with different professionals made me feel confident that public accounting should be my first step after college.”
Most importantly, it pushed her out of her comfort zone. She spoke with executives and alumni, which was intimidating but crucial for her future plans. “They really want to see you succeed they really want to open up those doors for you that otherwise you probably may not have had,” she said.
Seeing the Bigger Picture
The Memphis experience is deeply tied to Jordan Collins’ own journey of finding confidence and direction. Collins, Management Information Systems major, started off in the College of Engineering as a computer science major. “I thought that’s what I wanted to do,” she said.
Collins was unsure about her future and didn’t know which direction she wanted to take, so she reached out to Culverhouse’s First Gen Community for help. “The email message had the subject line, ‘Fighting for my life,’” Collins said.
She built an advising relationship with Caroline Malone, experiential learning coordinator, and eventually switched to MIS, which was, “the best decision I ever made in my life, honestly.” She found a home in Culverhouse and the First Gen Community. “When you get on campus it's easy to feel like you’re like a fish out of water. The First Gen Community has people that know what they’re doing so and help me find other people who understand.”
Collins traveled to Memphis and the city surprised her both times. It was her first time back in nearly a decade, after losing a cousin who had been treated at St. Jude. “I thought I never want to come back here,” she admitted.
Returning with a new purpose changed everything. “Being there and meeting people, seeing everyone so involved in their community and working on the beautification of Memphis, helping people see it’s not what you see on the media, I really liked that.”
The first trip in Spring 2025 led directly to a summer internship with AutoZone. By the second trip in Fall 2025, she found herself guiding newer first generation students in a mentorship role. She helped peers overcome nerves before meeting executives and community leaders, and taught them about meaningful networking. “Don’t just add them on LinkedIn. You have to follow up with them,” Collins said. “A lot of people were intimidated, and I helped them get rid of those jitters.”
For Collins, the experience was transformative. “Our staff advisors and alums do so much to really prepare you for the future,” she said. “If you’re willing to learn, you can thrive anywhere.”
Confidence in Action
For Karol Duque, a senior majoring in accounting and management, the Memphis trip was a turning point. It reshaped her confidence and her career path.
Her parents were hesitant to let her go at first. But Duque stood firm. “I had to put my foot down and told them, ‘This will help my career. This will help me grow.’”
Duque describes herself as someone who once hesitated to speak up. “I used to be afraid to talk to people who were already in their career,” she said. “It was intimidating. I didn’t know if I was saying the right thing.”
The Spring 2025 Memphis trip changed that. Duque met recruiters, analysts, and executives, including a CFO, and each conversation chipped away at her doubts. “At one point, I was the last one who hadn’t asked a question,” she said. “I panicked and just went for it. And they said it was a really good question. That’s when something clicked.”
That confidence helped her land an AutoZone internship, which she directly credits to the Memphis experience. “We visited AutoZone on the trip, and I talked to the recruiter there,” Duque said. “She told me to apply. I didn’t even know they had an internship program.”
She spent the summer at AutoZone’s headquarters in the finance department, meeting professionals she once would’ve been too nervous to approach. “I got to meet the CFO, financial analysts, all these top people,” she said. “It helped me realize how I want my career to go.”
What she gained wasn’t just experience. She found direction. “Memphis helped me figure out that I want to start in a firm and get my CPA,” she said. “It helped me picture the kind of life I want.”
Investing in Potential
For Culverhouse alum and Board of Visitors member Duncan Williams, hosting First Gen students in Memphis is more than just an act of support, it’s about showcasing a city with vast business opportunities. When he first heard that the program was visiting cities around the country, he wanted to know, “Why not Memphis?”
With headquarters like International Paper, AutoZone, FedEx, First Horizon and so many others, Williams knew the city had the perfect blend of opportunity and momentum. “There’s plenty of room here for talented, smart young people,” he said. “I wanted Alabama students to see that, and I wanted the business community here to see them.”
But for Williams, the trip was never meant to be all boardrooms and business cards. He wanted the students to truly experience Memphis and to see its culture, history, and energy that fuels its business community.
What does he gain from the experience? Pride in the city he calls home, pride in Alabama’s business school, and pride in the students he sees thriving, growing, and seizing opportunities. “Watching these first-generation students excel… it’s a great feeling,” he said. “And the professionals they met were blown away by them.”
To Williams, Memphis is a “city of soul,” full of heart and hungry for talent. Sharing it with UA students and watching them discover what makes it special is why he keeps opening the door.