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Students and staff gathered in Bird Library for Syracuse University’s National First-Generation College Celebration Wednesday evening, which focused on voicing the personal experiences that come with being a first-generation student with a panel of student and alumni speakers.

The event is held annually on Nov. 8 to honor first-generation students and commemorate the signing of the federal Higher Education Act. The act helped strengthen universities’ ability to provide financial assistance to students in higher education, which has led to greater academic opportunities for first-generation students.

Panelists shared some of the difficulties that come with being a first-generation student and provided insight on how they overcame them. SU sophomore Ashlyn Garcia, a first-generation student studying Film and Media Arts, moderated the panel.

“Being first-gen is something that a lot of students are ashamed of, or they don’t really recognize that they are until they’re filling out the application,” Garcia said, “But coming to college, it’s something that has impacted my journey, and it’s going to impact my journey. It’s something that I’m really proud of because I’m paving the way for the rest of my family.”

Brice Nordquist, the dean’s professor of community engagement in College of Arts and Sciences, said that as a first-generation student, he thought the hardest part was getting into college. But, when he got to campus, he realized there were more hurdles to overcome. While in college, Nordquist said he had to navigate his issues without familial knowledge of the institution.

“I had friends who had been enrolled in transitional programs, early college kinds of programs, but … I wasn’t coded in some of the same ways,” Nordquist said. “I didn’t know of any kinds of supports that existed.”
Jordan Pierre, a graduate student in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, talked about his experience as a first-generation student on the panel. He said the college experience at SU helps even the playing field for students from different backgrounds by offering resources.

“I come from a place where I feel like talent is universal but opportunities are not,” Pierre said. “So, then I got into Syracuse, now I got access to the resources to amplify what it is I already was doing. It was a hard part about being a first-generation student, there was just a lot of things that you just don’t know, and you must seek them, and you only understand if you experience.”

The Higher Education Opportunity Program, Student Support Services and Kessler Scholars Program helped organize the panel. All three programs aim to help first-generation college students through their college journey at SU.
Chandice Haste-Jackson, the associate dean of student services for the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, invited students to get in touch with her and use the available resources at the university.

“There’s so much here at SU, and if I can’t find it I’ll either create it or connect you to someone in the community,” Haste-Jackson said. “That’s the beauty of having been somewhere for a while and finding your purpose and passion.”

One attendee, Brandon Yeboah, said that being a first-generation student means being able to build something started by his parents.

“It means that I have the power to change everyone that follows me, and build generational wealth while breaking generational trauma,” said Yeboah, a student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Yeboah said that growing up, his parents emphasized the importance of graduating college to him and his brother because their own opportunities were financially limited.

“For me to live through their dreams while also living through my dreams is just the best, and at the end of the day, my goal, when I finish graduating, I want to give my cap and gown to my parents so they can share that experience as well,” Yeboah said.

Published on November 9, 2023 at 12:53 am