First-Gen Students the Highlight of Weeklong Celebration

Several events focusing on first-generation students and their stories will take place Nov. 6-11 in recognition of National First-Generation College Student Day, which is Nov. 8.

Each college is hosting events specifically for their students Monday and Tuesday and three campuswide events are planned for later in the week that are open to all first-generation students, faculty and staff.

The weeklong celebration is organized by First Generations Programs, REACH and the Student Support Services TRIO program, which are all part of the Capstone Center for Student Success.

“The University of Alabama has an abundance of resources and opportunities meant to ensure our students’ success while they are here and after they graduate. Those can be challenging for first-gen students to access, however, because beyond feeling hesitant about asking for help, first-gen students often don’t even know what they should be asking for,” said Randi Hamm, First-Gen Programs manager.

“Our first-gen undergraduate population is larger than most people realize — about 25% of our current freshman class identifies as first-gen,” she said. “I want our first-gen students to know they are not alone and do not have to try to figure everything out on their own.”

Students will have the opportunity to hear first-gen students share their stories, learn more about Legacy Scholars — UA’s first-gen student community — and have some fun in the process.

Visit the First-Generation Programs website to learn more about each event. RSVPs are helpful, but not required.