The Importance of First-Gen
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Physicist Albert Einstein. First Lady Michelle Obama. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey.
Listed above are public figures that have influenced the world in some way. They have changed policies, motivated lives, and pushed boundaries on human capability. What’s the catch? They were all first-generation college students.
There is no clear definition of a “first-gen” college student. Typically, most college campuses define first-generation status as being the first in one’s family to attend or be enrolled in college. The Center for First-Generation Student Success says that “while the term ‘first-generation’ may seem self-explanatory, the nuance of the identity does require examination.”
“First-generation students are often quite academically skilled and contribute in many ways to a campus community, navigating the tangled web of college policies, procedures, jargon, and expectations can be a challenge,” according to The Center for First-Generation Student Success.
At Elon University, a student is first-generation if “neither parent(s)/legal guardian(s) has earned a bachelor’s degree (four-year degree). A student is still considered to be a first-generation college student even if a sibling has already completed a four-year college degree.”
The Center for Access and Success houses the First-Generation Student Support Services, which is led by Assistant Director Oscar Miranda.
The goal of The Center for Access and Success is to support students in their journeys towards graduating from Elon. The Center provides access to scholarships, including the Odyssey Scholars Program, which awards nearly 40 scholarships per year to students who are first-generation, of a minority, or economically disadvantaged.
Ava Rosen, a senior at Elon University, is an Odyssey Scholar.
“I am responsible for my own bills, payments, and college expenses, which is a rarity at Elon. Not having financial support is a struggle, but Elon relieves a lot of this stress with their Odyssey Program,” said Rosen. “For me, it allowed me to easily decide where I would attend college; if not for my Inman Family Scholarship, I would be graduating in a dangerous load of debt.”
While Rosen does accredit some of her success to the Odyssey Program at Elon, she argues that “it is greatly up to the student themselves to seek additional resources once in the Odyssey Program. While the Odyssey Advisors constantly send out first-gen and minority opportunities in and around campus, it is difficult to locate these opportunities on your own. With that, Elon doesn’t do enough to promote this program and make these students feel special. The majority of students do not know what the Odyssey Program is unless they have a friend in it (which is rare, since many Odysseys are friends with just Odysseys). The linkage between these ~200 students and the rest of Elon’s population is broken, and bridging this gap is something I believe Elon can improve upon.”
Rosen, a decorated student, has achieved great success during her time at Elon. She is an Elon University business fellow and President of Women in Finance. Recently, she was offered the role of Vice President of her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha.
“Being a first-generation college student is not easy, and it is an identity that I both struggle with and deeply value. I am proud to be able to say I am first-generation, but many of my peers don’t understand what this title actually means. Coming from a low-income family with an unconventional background, college was not in my original plan. It took years of hard work, unforeseen sacrifices, and hard decisions to be able to attend Elon. Still, I wouldn’t change my decision for the world,” said Rosen.
In addition to her successes within her organizations, Rosen has grown professionally as well. Rosen has participated in both the Goldman Sachs 2021 Virtual Insight Series Program and Citibank Women’s Leadership Early ID Program, and has been recognized in the JP Morgan Winning Women Program.
Elon University has helped prepare Rosen for these opportunities.
“The Student Professional Development Center (SPDC) fosters an inclusive environment and advertises various opportunities for networking and interview preparation that has allowed me to grow professionally,” she said.
“Being a first-generation college student has given me the strength and drive that separates me from my peers, both in and outside of the classroom. It has instilled empathy, determination, and generosity in myself that I would not trade for the world, and it is a title I am proud to wear.”