NEWS EDITOR – ASHTON JEFFERS
ORIGINALLY PRINTED ON NOV 28, 2022
On Nov. 8, St. Mary’s had its first First-Generation College Celebration, highlighting the student experience of those who are the first in their families to attend college and earn their degrees. It is the first event celebrating the first-generation experience hosted as a group TRiO event, which includes the three TRiO programs, Upward Bound, McNair Scholars and TRiO Student Support Services, here at St. Mary’s. Students involved in the TRiO programs also provided their volunteer work by lending their help to work the event, checking students, faculty and staff in at the front of the UC-B, or bringing in chairs as attendees entered.
Eric Chavarria, Assistant Director for AMP TRiO Student Support Services, served as the Master of Ceremonies for this event, welcoming all the first-generation college students and those who support these students in their journeys. Not only was this type of experience the first that the TRiO groups have gotten together to put on, but it also had a resounding turnout. They had to bring in more chairs to allow those entering the event room a place to sit when other areas filled up. It’s the first big event on campus dedicated to celebrating the work and experiences of first-generation students.
Chavarria shared that having the first- generation celebration occur on Nov. 8 was no coincidence. Nov. 8 marks the passing of the Higher Education Act during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s term in 1965. This Act established a financial aid system that we see today with need-based grants and work-study programs that help students pay for a college education. It was a major milestone to ensure access to post-secondary education for groups who have been historically marginalized and alienated from obtaining a college degree.
Testimonies and pictures of first- generation students were present on Powerpoint slides that rotated on an automatic timer throughout the event.
Students, faculty and staff at St. Mary’s provided these materials that shared their experiences about encounters with or as first-generation students. Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students, Tim Bessler, Ed. D., shared his own experience as a first-generation college student. He explained the challenges that come with being first-gen, the foreignness of a college campus, being away from home and the financial strain that many are familiar with when it comes to higher education. He encouraged those currently experiencing these pressures to ask for help and to build relationships on campus.
Visiting Assistant Professor of English Nicole López, Ph.D., also shared her experience as a first-generation student in the worlds of Harvard University and Stanford University. She invited students to find pride in their origins and their beginnings instead of shame for not understanding what college expects of them. She suggested to “call upon your own storehouse of wealth from your origin stories.” “We come here to grow in wisdom,” López stated but reminded students that the wisdom they gain in college applies to their desired career fields.
As the event closed, they invited students to apply for the Tri-Alpha Honor Society for first-generation students. “We’re helping students who are underrepresented,” stated Chavarria. “You don’t have to meet all the criteria that the TRiO programs serve.” Whether you are a student of low income, a first-generation college student or have a documented disability, they could still consider you for participating in any of the three TRiO programs St. Mary’s has to offer.