Opinion: Growing up in Appalachia made navigating college tough. 'I felt compelled to abandon my background.'

Piper Slinka-Petka

An Appalachian student from West Virginia heads off to college at the University of Pennsylvania, dubbed "Penn" by most students, and encounters a community where she doesn't know how or when she will ever fit in and keep up with her urban counterparts. A lightly edited version of Piper Slinka-Petka's story from The Daily Pennsylvanian is shared below.

"During the same conversation, all first-year students find themselves in, state follows directly after name. Penn’s student body, while diverse, leaves many geographical regions underrepresented in their class. . . . When I reveal I am from West Virginia, home to Penn students few and far between, I get one of a few responses:

I haven’t heard that one yet. Are you the only one? (No, I am not.)

Like from the song? (Yes, the very state described by John Denver’s 1971 song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”)

I have family from Virginia, same thing, right? (Two different states, separated in 1863.)

"Growing up in Appalachia is an identity I spent my adolescence running away from. Portrayal in the media, such as by vice presidential candidate JD Vance’s "Hillbilly Elegy," paints Appalachia as a place for the uneducated, poverty-stricken, and lazy. The misinterpretation of rural America creates a narrative that all people inside of it are 'white, conservative, and dumb.' In conversations with other Penn students, I would explain my rural upbringing, and end with 'but at least I made it out.' I felt compelled to abandon my background to find my new place at Penn.

"It wasn’t the light pollution, lack of nature, or noise that made Penn so different — it was the culture. I found myself struggling to find an anchor with my urban peers. . . . I was always a step behind. My differences were possibly the most apparent at the dining hall. I grew up on simple, hearty foods like pepperoni rolls and baked mac & cheese — nothing like the diverse and unique food options my peers raved about. Penn’s food options felt like an entirely new language.

"The education I received, too, lacked greatly in comparison to my peers. In 2024, West Virginia was ranked the worst state for education. Approximately only 20% of West Virginians over 25 have a bachelor's degree or higher. While I’d been admitted to Penn, I was still the product of a struggling academic system. Even though I already knew my education put me at a disadvantage, I underestimated how much I would feel out of place at Penn. . . . Perhaps even more than educationally, I was lacking socially.

"Coming from a geographically underrepresented area meant I was at a disadvantage in navigating Penn. While my classmates seemed to effortlessly adjust to this new world, I felt lost grappling with new social dynamics, cuisine, and academics. The culture shock was not just locational; it was a reminder of how deeply our backgrounds influence our future. Although I felt the need to abandon my old life for Penn’s new offerings, I couldn't just put West Virginia behind me. I would have to actively work to bridge the gap between my unique upbringing and my new life at Penn. . ."