Interview with Sarah Hagans, July 28, 2006

Partial Transcript: This is an oral history interview with Ms. Sarah Hagans for the University of Kentucky African American Alumni Experience.

Segment Synopsis: Sarah Hagans is introduced. She talks about her parents and grandparents and their occupations. She talks about where her ancestors were originally from. She talks about her family's socioeconomic status during her childhood.

Keywords: Family roots; Fathers; Free lunch; Gardens; Government assistance; Grandparents; Income; Jobs; Kentucky; Knott County (Ky.); Mothers; Nursing degree; Occupations; Parents; Poor; Preachers; Raleigh (N.C.); Sassafras (Ky.); Siblings; Social security; Socioeconomic status; Tennessee; Working

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Employment.; Childhood; Family histories.; Family--history

Partial Transcript: Where did you go to elementary, junior high, and high school?

Segment Synopsis: Hagans says most of her friends were white due to the low number of African Americans in her school. She talks about her mother's views on staying at friends' houses when she was a child.

Keywords: Brothers; Demographics; Fathers; Friendships; Integrated schools; Mothers; Questions; Relationships; Sleepovers; White friends

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Race relations--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Did you have a favorite subject in school?

Segment Synopsis: Hagans talks about her favorite subjects in school, and describes many of her favorite teachers and how they influenced her. She talks about her participation in extracurricular activities in school.

Keywords: Academic team; Clubs; College sports; Extracurricular activities; Favorite subjects; Favorite teachers; Foreign language; Gifted and Talented Program; Influences; Personality; Perspectives; Speech team; Student council; Volleyball team

Subjects: African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Recreation; Childhood; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching

Partial Transcript: Did you feel that your family valued education?

Segment Synopsis: Hagans talks about her parents and grandparents valuing education. She says all of her siblings finished some type of higher education, and discusses her parents' and grandparents' educational backgrounds.

Keywords: Behavior; Conduct; Degrees; Effort; Family values; Fathers; Grades; Grandparents; Higher education; Mothers; Report cards; Siblings

Subjects: African American college graduates--Kentucky; African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Education.; Childhood

Partial Transcript: Did you have a close-knit family when you were growing up?

Segment Synopsis: Hagans talks about what she did for fun as a child, including games and sports, playing in the snow, and hiking in the "hills" around her home. She talks about encountering snakes and her father teaching her to kill them. She talks about attending church on Saturdays and Sundays because her father was a preacher.

Keywords: Church work; Close-knit; Cousins; Entertainment; Fathers; Friends; Games; Hiking; Little Home Church; Old Regular Baptist Church; Outdoors; Preachers; Rural areas; Saturdays; Snakes; Snow; Social role; Sports; Sundays; Visiting; Winter

Subjects: African American churches--Kentucky; African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Religion.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Childhood; Rural children

Partial Transcript: I know that your family valued education. Um, your mom had her masters and your--all your o--older siblings have a degree as well as maybe a graduate degree.

Segment Synopsis: Hagans talks about the expectation that she would attend college, and discusses why she decided to attend Berea College for her undergraduate education.

Keywords: Brothers; Commonwealth Diploma; Decisions; Distance; Electives; Expectations; Recruiters; Scholarships; Small colleges; Teachers; University of Kentucky

Subjects: African American college students.; African American families; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Education (Higher); Berea College; Campus visits; College choice; College costs.; College environment; College students--Attitudes.

Partial Transcript: And I loved it. I loved going there.

Segment Synopsis: Hagans talks about her orientation at Berea College and how it prepared her. She talks about the system of student employment at Berea College, and her interest in the Students for Appalachia program. She talks about her relationships with her professors. She talks about the extracurricular activities available at Berea.

Keywords: Black Music Ensemble; Choirs; Close-knit; Extracurricular activities; Festivals; Influence; Jobs; Life experience; Opportunities; Professors; Relationships; Students for Appalachia; Upperclassmen; Volunteering; Working

Subjects: African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; African Americans--Recreation; Berea College; College environment; College student orientation.; College students, Black; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Employment.; College teachers--Social conditions; Educators; Minorities in higher education; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University towns

Partial Transcript: What was y--I know you said you double majored and one of your majors was Spanish. What was the other major?

Segment Synopsis: Hagans talks about her decision to double major in English and Spanish, and talks about how she was able to study abroad in Mexico and Spain during her education at Berea College.

Keywords: Debt; Education program; English; Mexico; Opportunities; Spain; Spanish; Studying abroad; Summers; Traveling abroad

Subjects: College costs.; College majors; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Economic conditions; College teachers.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Partial Transcript: So when you graduated from Berea, when did you graduate?

Segment Synopsis: Hagans talks about her decision to attend graduate school at UK immediately after her graduation from Berea. She talks about UK's Master's with Initial Certification program for teachers, and discusses whether she was apprehensive about coming to UK.

Keywords: Apprehension; Dormitories; Graduate school; Master's with Initial Certification program (MIC); Masters degrees; Teaching certification

Subjects: College applications; College choice; College students--Attitudes.; Universities and colleges--Graduate work.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Were you aware of UK's reputation in the Black community when you applied and enrolled?

Segment Synopsis: Hagans says she was one of two Black students in her program, and they were placed with a Black advisor. She talks about whether she felt welcome at UK, and whether she was expected to work harder than her white peers. She talks about her support system at UK, including her family and her advisor. She talks about her most exciting as well as her worst moments at UK.

Keywords: Advisors; Black community; Brothers; Classmates; Cohorts; Commencement; Concerts; Demographics; Discrimination; Dr. Eleanor Brown; Exciting; Expectations; Graduate students; Graduation; Group work; Master's with Initial Certification program (MIC); Mentors; Reputations; Sisters; Student organizations; Support system; Welcome; Working harder; Worst moments

Subjects: African American families; College environment; College student orientation.; College students--Social networks; College teachers--Rating of.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Graduate work.; Universities and colleges--Public relations; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Do you feel like you received a quality education from the University of Kentucky?

Segment Synopsis: Hagans talks about how her education at both UK and Berea College prepared her for her career in teaching.

Keywords: Athletics; Basketball; Berea College; Experience; Practicum; Preparation; Quality of education; Student teaching; Teaching styles

Subjects: College sports.; Education, Higher--Kentucky--Lexington; Universities and colleges--Curricula.; Universities and colleges--Ratings and rankings.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So you graduated in what year?

Segment Synopsis: Hagans talks about teaching in Lincoln County, Kentucky since her graduation from UK in 2000.

Keywords: Arts and humanities; Exploratory classes; Middle school; Part-time students; Rank 1; Spanish; Teaching certificates; Unmarried

Subjects: African American college graduates--Kentucky; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Employment.; Lincoln County (Ky.); Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching

Partial Transcript: Do you have any concluding comments or thoughts on the University of Kentucky and your experience as a student there?

Segment Synopsis: Hagans talks about the cost of college tuition, and talks more about the career preparation she received at UK. She says that UK could make improvements to make incoming graduate students feel more welcome. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Black Graduate and Professional Student Association (BGPSA); Comfortable; Graduate school; Loans; Preparation; Professors; Relationships; Tuition; Welcome

Subjects: African American college graduates--Kentucky; College costs.; College environment; College student orientation.; College students--Social conditions; College teachers.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Graduate work.; Universities and colleges--Ratings and rankings.; University of Kentucky