The power of being a first-generation college student was a life-changing experience. The barriers that existed for first-generation students were often fearsome. However, being a first-generation student was also a time of excitement because first-generation students had unique viewpoints, and it was a significant time of self-development. Higher education administration and leadership needed to consider first-generation college students' voices, perceptions, and stories to better understand this population. Via a self-authorship development process, this dissertation provided an autoethnographic account through a personal narrative of how I, the researcher, a first-generation student, became a Student Affairs Practitioner along the academic journey of pursuing higher education. By utilizing autoethnography as the methodology, this research study allowed the researcher to be the sole participant with the minor input of her college mentor through a questionnaire. Led by the self-authorship theory as the undergirding theoretical framework of this study, I examined my academic journey as a female, a first-generation student in higher education. The autoethnographic account comprised personal narratives, from which three themes emerged, including a sub-theme that informed a purpose-driven career pertinent to my first-generation student identity. The emerging themes from this dissertation included: a) development of support system and significant external formulas, b) navigating and creating one's life pathway through my first-generation identity, and c) constant crossroads and consistent sacrifices. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]