The “I’m First” Community
By: Kelly Alvarado and David Garcia
Attending college as the first in your family can feel like an isolating experience. At Gonzaga University, we provide a network through our Unity Multicultural Education Center (UMEC) and First Year Experience Programs to connect and support our first generation students.* In September, we hosted Real Talk: First Generation Panel, in which students and staff shared their experiences with being a first generation student at Gonzaga. Fifteen first-year, first-generation students listened to stories of current students and staff who are first generation. One of the participants said, “I have realized I’m not alone, there are others with the same challenges. If they can do this, so can I.” More programming honoring our first generation students will continue in the spring semester.
The I’m First online community, which celebrates first generation college students and their families, is another wonderful resource to connect with other first generation students around the United States. On the first Thursday of every month at 7pm EST, I’m First hosts Twitter Office Hours talking about different topics regarding a first generation student’s experience and information from supporters on how to navigate the college experience.
How to participate in the Twitter Office Hour:
- On December 4 at 7pm EST, log on to Twitter
- Follow @ImFirstGen
- Add hashtag #FirstGenOfficeHour to ask a question or share an answer
Follow I’m First on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/imfirstgen) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/ImFirstGen) for the latest news and updates.
Our Zag and national community are here to walk alongside you and your student through this college experience. Please feel free to reach out for more information regarding ways you and your student can continue to navigate the Zag student experience as a first generation student.
* The term “first generation student” is defined as a student, regardless of racial identity, who is the first in their family to attend college. This may mean “whose parents did not attend college” or “whose parents did not graduate with a baccalaureate degree.”
Kelly Alvarado and “I’m First”
Manager, First Year Experience Programs
David H. Garcia and “I’m First”
Assistant Director, Unity Multicultural Education Center