Smart Girl: A First-Gen Origin Story

Smart Girl: A First-Gen Origin Story is a memoir that redefines first-gen and Black student narratives that highlights mass media, pop culture, and sports as key to shaping identity, resilience, and community. In her memoir, Dr. Rease Miles traces the (sound)tracks of her life as she journeys through myriad K-12 public schools and several college experiences toward a PhD and beyond, battling self-doubt, racism, "imposter syndrome," and "survivor's guilt" to transform the higher education landscape for herself, her family, and community. Smart Girl shifts the focus of first-gen memoirs from solely academic grit to exploring the everyday cultural forces that shape identity and resilience.