As a first-generation college student, Kendra Kneisl’s curiosity and temerity helped her navigate the often-formidable postsecondary experience. Born to Austrian parents, Kendra grew up in New Castle, Pennsylvania, where the college application process felt overwhelming. Without access to college guidance programs like College Now, she relied on friends for advice and approached college applications with what she calls a “shoot-in-the-dark” strategy, uncertain about how to find schools that offered strong financial aid or other important factors she was unaware of at the time.
Kendra struggled with choosing a major, feeling pressured by her father’s experience in Austria, where career paths often require specific training and certification early in life. Feeling pigeonholed by her initial choice, she switched her major numerous times, unaware that exploring different options was okay. Looking back, she wishes she had known it was fine to be undecided, realizing now that experiences outside of her major would also shape her career.
Coming from an entrepreneurial family–her grandmother opening a ski shop in 1970, later taken over by her mother, and her father running his own construction business–Kendra found herself in uncharted waters when she entered the professional world. Her parents had little knowledge of traditional office norms, from PTO policies to standard career pathways, and Kendra had to learn the ropes on her own. She values self-growth over comparing herself to others, believing, “The only thing you have to compare yourself to is the previous version of yourself.” This mindset has helped her give herself grace in her career journey.
Her path to College Now began in undergrad at Duquesne University, where she worked an on-campus job at the advancement services department, sparking her interest in development work. When she began exploring new opportunities after graduation, College Now Greater Cleveland popped up, despite it being in a city she had never visited. Although she had reservations about moving, two pieces of advice kept her grounded: her grandmother’s mantra “you can’t sit in two places,” implying that you must grow wherever you plant yourself, and her friend’s comforting, yet opposite reminder that “you can always go home.” These words gave her the courage to make Cleveland her new home, where she has thrived in her role as development coordinator at College Now.
Kendra’s favorite part of her job is seeing College Now’s impact across Cleveland and knowing her work has a deep, lasting purpose. For her, Cleveland has become a place where she can grow, serve and give back to the community in a meaningful way.
