Being the first person in your family to attend college is not an easy thing. In fact, navigating the whole process from applying to attending can be more difficult for first-generation students. So it is only fitting to celebrate the accomplishments of those students every year, and that’s just what we did during the National First-Generation College Day Celebration, which was expanded to a week on the U of A campus.
Why celebrate for one day when you could celebrate for a whole week?
“I believe you can’t celebrate the achievements of these students for just one day,” said Emily Cook, assistant director of New Student Programs. “We want to support first-gen students wholistically, so we decided to celebrate all week and partner with others across campus for the celebration.”
According to the NASPA Center for First-Generation Student Success, November 8 was selected as the date for the annual celebration to honor the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The HEA emerged out of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, and was intended to help level a playing field that for too long had been weighed against Americans from minority and low-income backgrounds. Since 2017, institutions from across the nation have celebrated first-generation students, faculty, staff, and alumni on Nov. 8 and highlighted the important contributions made within their communities.
“It was important for us to recognize the significance of first-generation college students and graduates, so in addition to honoring these individuals on the National recognition day, we wanted to extend the celebration to include more celebrations,” said Quincy Spencer, director of New Student and Family Programs. “This is in line with many other institutions and any opportunity that we can get to recognize this important designation, we want to do that. We will continue to honor and celebrate first-generation students and graduates throughout the year in the future.”
The University of Arkansas has about 6,100 students who are first-generation, or about 25% of our student population. Nationally about one-third of all college students are first-gen.
New Student & Family Programs in the Division of Student Affairs kicked off the week with their version of a National First-Generation Student Day Celebration on Monday, Nov. 8, from Noon to 2 p.m. in the Arkansas Union International Connections Lounge.
“I see college as a long-term investment to make a safe future,” said Akeem Malky, a senior and first-generation college student from Bolivia who was at the celebration. “First-gen students should think of this as impacting their far future. It’s like a 401K.” Malky has plans to enter graduate school to study computer science once he finishes his undergraduate degree this Spring.
Chancellor Charles Robinson stopped by the celebration and visited with the members of the campus community who were enjoying the event, which included some first-generation faculty and staff in addition to first-gen students.
“These first-generation students remind us of our mission to help expand educational opportunities for all who desire to have it,” Robinson said. “They symbolize our success and outreach to those who don’t have the family lore of attending college. This makes an impact on generations to come.”
The University has created a web site that promotes first-generation student stories, as well as stories from U of A faculty and staff who were first generation college students.
One of those faculty members featured on the site has been a professor on campus for nearly 40 years. R. Panneer Selvam, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, was the first member of his family to even attend high school. Selvam, who now holds 2 Master’s degrees and one PhD, attended the kick-off celebration.
Selvam said he has been learning on his own since he was 3 years old, and even helped kids who were living in the street learn before he entered first grade. “I always felt I could help people,” Selvam said. “I thought I knew something that I could share with others.”
“Being a first-generation graduate helped me to find my life and also many around me,” Selvam said. “I never dreamt that I would get PhD one day in a faraway land. To me education is the only thing kept me going in my life.”
His advice to other first -generation students?
“Keep focus in passing your classes with good grades and graduate as early as possible. The hurdles you face from financial challenges to how your peers treat you will disappear once you start learning how to make money and live a good life,” Selvam said.
Having faculty and staff in positions across campus who were also first-generation students, such as Professor Selvam and others, is great for those students who are here now.
“I think it’s important for our first-gen students to see others that are like them and have been through similar experiences, so it was very important for us to include faculty and staff in all of our honors and celebrations,” Spencer said. “First-gen faculty and staff can serve as mentors for these students because they know first-hand they types of experiences and challenges that these student can potentially face as they navigate the collegiate experience.”
The week-long celebration included some collaborations with other departments across campus, including University Recreation, who created some fun games in the Arkansas Union Verizon Ballroom.
“It was hilarious to see our students, faculty, and staff take silly challenges so seriously. We shared many laughs watching adults desperately trying to blow children’s bubbles through a hula hoop,” said Taylor Book, director of programs for University Recreation.
Not only was it a fun event but it was worthwhile on other levels as well, he said.
“These types of collaborations bring out the very best in our organizations. We don’t want to let our peers down, so we end up raising our own standards to deliver a great experience for the student,” Book said. “And thanks to NSFP, we were able to concentrate our efforts and ensure that first-generation students are aware of the opportunities that exist for them at UREC.”
The celebration wrapped up on a touching note with first-gen students reading letters that their family members wrote to them in praise of their commitment and accomplishments as the first members of their families to attend college. Students were not aware that family members had written these letters, which NSFP staff had gathered and presented to the students in a room with balloons, music and lots of great food.
“Watching these students open and read the letters was very touching,” said Cook, who planned the letter opening event. “We even had some students who agreed to read their letters on camera so we could capture the moment and provide that video to their families who wrote the letters. It was really my favorite part of the whole week!”
Watch this highlight video!
