The Rural College Student Experience
The Rural College Student Experience is the first and only podcast dedicated exclusively to centering rural college student voices in conversations about higher education access and equity. This podcast is a space for rural students to share their stories, inspire others, and challenge the misconceptions about rural college students.
Hosted by Dr. Matt Newlin (mattnewlin.com), RCSE features student guests —a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student from a rural background—who shares their experiences navigating college. Together, we discuss the barriers and challenges rural students face, as well as the resilience, strengths, and successes that define our journeys.
Find us on Bluesky: @rcsepod.bsky.social
The Rural College Student Experience
Ep. 22 - Rin Baker, Georgetown University
"I didn’t have the same number of hours in the day as my peers. I was commuting, working, trying to figure out public transportation for the first time. And I was still expected to compete on the same level. We don’t lack drive or talent — we just don’t have the same time."
That quote comes from Rin Baker, a rural student from upstate New York who joins Dr. Matt Newlin for the latest episode of the Rural College Student Experience. Rin is a first-generation student from Hartford, New York, a small rural town nestled in farmland. Rin is currently completing her M.A. in English at Georgetown University, where her thesis explores working-class autoethnography — a powerful form of memoir that captures the lived realities of working-class individuals in academic spaces.
Rin shares her incredible journey through the SUNY system, navigating community college, multiple transfers, and the unique challenges of transitioning from rural life to a major city. She opens up about the institutional barriers she faced — from inaccessible public transportation to unfamiliar campus systems — and the resilience it took to succeed in elite academic environments.
This episode touches on:
- What it means to grow up with limited access but unlimited creativity
- How SUNY’s transfer system supported her educational path
- The loss and reclamation of her small-town accent
- The invisible costs of higher education for rural and working-class students
- Why rural students are some of the most resourceful, determined learners in the country
Whether you're a rural student, a first-gen scholar, or someone committed to educational equity, this episode will leave you inspired and informed. Rin’s story is one of grit, brilliance, and the quiet power of showing up — even when the odds are long.