--- title: PUSHING PAST BOUNDARIES description: Saige Angleton, a 2021 UNO graduate, made it her mission as a first-generation college student to push past the boundaries. image: https://blog.unomaha.edu/hubfs/UComm/UComm%20--%20Marketing/Student%20Profiles%20Website/UComm--Marketing--Student%20Profiles--20210414_Saige_Angleton_003.jpg --- [![UComm -- UNO logo reversed](https://blog.unomaha.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/UComm/UComm%20--%20Digital%20Team/UComm%20--%20UNO%20logo%20reversed.png?width=29012&height=2483&name=UComm%20--%20UNO%20logo%20reversed.png "UComm -- UNO logo reversed")](https://www.unomaha.edu/) [![UComm -- UNO logo reversed](https://blog.unomaha.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/UComm/UComm%20--%20Digital%20Team/UComm%20--%20UNO%20logo%20reversed.png?width=29012&height=2483&name=UComm%20--%20UNO%20logo%20reversed.png "UComm -- UNO logo reversed")](https://www.unomaha.edu/) - [Apply Now](https://www.unomaha.edu/admissions/apply/index.php) - [Visit UNO](https://www.unomaha.edu/admissions/visit/index.php) - [Request Info](https://www.unomaha.edu/admissions/apply/request-for-information-rfi.php) - [My Story Home](https://mystory.unomaha.edu/index.php) - Filter By Topics # PUSHING PAST BOUNDARIES ## Saige Angleton October, 22 2021 SHARE [mailto:?body=https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/saige-angleton](mailto:?body=https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/saige-angleton) ![Headshot photo of Saige Angleton.](https://blog.unomaha.edu/hubfs/UComm/UComm%20--%20Marketing/Student%20Profiles%20Website/UComm--Marketing--Student%20Profiles--20210414_Saige_Angleton_003.jpg) SHARE [mailto:?body=https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/saige-angleton](mailto:?body=https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/saige-angleton) ![University of Nebraska at Omaha](https://blog.unomaha.edu/hubfs/UComm/UComm%20--%20Digital%20Team/UComm%20--%20Digital%20--%20UNO%20chat%20logo.png) Written By [University of Nebraska at Omaha](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/author/university-of-nebraska-at-omaha) Topic [Academics](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/tag/academics) --- SAIGE ANGLETON COLLEGE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE Emergency Management Major ---   UNO is home to more than 6,000 first-generation students – 37 percent of the entire 15,000-plus student body– each with their own stories. One of those stories is Saige Angleton. The emergency management major initially chose UNO for its proximity to home, so in the event the college experience wasn’t what she had hoped, she would have family nearby as a support system. As a first-generation student, she admittedly struggled to find her footing early on, but when she became familiar with UNO’s reverence toward students like her and the support network the university provided for students like her, it helped felt more at home. ![Quote by Saige Angleton: "There is a First-Generation Guild, those students are definitely prioritized, and you have a family within it."](https://blog.unomaha.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/0581_PULL_QUOTE_DESIGN_SA.jpg?width=2545&name=0581_PULL_QUOTE_DESIGN_SA.jpg) "As I got progressively into college here, first-generation students are celebrated," Angleton said. "There is a First-Generation Guild, those students are definitely prioritized, and you have a family within it." During her time at UNO, she helped launch the UNO men’s club hockey team and served as its vice president. She also took on an internship with the Omaha Veterans Affairs Medical Center where she worked with the emergency manager on emergency planning. The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a useful learning experience that will serve her well in her dream career as a nurse practitioner. "For pandemic planning, we learned some things that we can take into the future and actually have pandemic plans for our careers as emergency managers," she said. Overcoming a number of challenges, she experienced during her academic career has helped her create her own definition of what Maverick Spirit means. ![Quote by Saige Angleton: "The word Maverick to me just means strong and I think Maverick Spirit overall means strength and being able to keep continuing."](https://blog.unomaha.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/0581_PULL_QUOTE_DESIGN_SA2.jpg?width=2546&name=0581_PULL_QUOTE_DESIGN_SA2.jpg) "The word Maverick to me just means strong and I think Maverick Spirit overall means strength and being able to keep continuing," she said. "I know for a lot of college students, that’s something they struggle with. College is very hard and sometimes you want to just give up, but I think having that Maverick Spirit and continuing to push yourself and persevere through those challenging times is what the Maverick Spirit is." Looking back on her evolution from an unsure first-generation freshman to UNO graduate with a passion for serving others, she did it for more than her own benefit. "I have two younger sisters that I know look up to me, and I know that I need to set the tone for them and show them how things should be done. I think I’ve done a great job at that so far, so that’s definitely been what my strength to succeed is." ![Photo of Saige Angleton on UNO's campus.](https://blog.unomaha.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/20210414_Saige_Angleton_010.jpg?width=6720&name=20210414_Saige_Angleton_010.jpg) [Previous Post](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/patrick-hodson) [View all posts](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory) [Next Post](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/gina-christopher) ### Recommended Reading [Academics](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/topic/academics) ##### [NAVIGATING ARTISTIC INSPIRATION AND COMMUNITY AT UNO](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/kennedy-wallman) By [University of Nebraska at Omaha](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/author/university-of-nebraska-at-omaha) / September 13, 2024 [Continue Reading](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/kennedy-wallman) [Academics](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/topic/academics) ##### [BREAKING LANGUAGE BARRIERS](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/jonathan-camacho-luis-franco) By [University of Nebraska at Omaha](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/author/university-of-nebraska-at-omaha) / July 11, 2023 [Continue Reading](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/jonathan-camacho-luis-franco) [Academics](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/topic/academics) ##### [A JUMP START FORWARD](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/monserrat-medina-hernandez) By [University of Nebraska at Omaha](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/author/university-of-nebraska-at-omaha) / July 11, 2023 [Continue Reading](https://blog.unomaha.edu/mystory/monserrat-medina-hernandez) ### Speak Your Mind ### Subscribe and stay up to date No spam, we promise! 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