First2Go celebrated First-Gen Week Nov. 4-8. The week was packed with events for first-generation students, veteran and military students and the campus community.
First2Go, the UCCS support program for first generation college students, recently became a part of MOSAIC after an office reorganization. First2Go coordinator Ashley San Miguel said joining MOSAIC felt natural, since there is so much intersectionality between first-gen students and students MOSAIC serves.
MOSAIC offers First2Go more resources to connect with students. First-Gen Week offered a way for First2Go to establish itself as an entity of MOSAIC and show what kind of programming is possible with the new partnership, according to San Miguel.
While several of the events for First-Gen Week were snowed out, Monday and Tuesday’s events were successful. San Miguel said First-Gen Week celebrated “the fact that first-gen students are here, and they are surviving, and they’re thriving.”
Monday started with Self-Care Kickoff, focusing on mental health. “Self-Care Kickoff was really about recognizing that November [and] October are really difficult times for students mental-health wise, statistically,” San Miguel said.
San Miguel thought Self-Care Kickoff came at the perfect time to help students with any emotions surrounding the election, allowing students to take care of themselves and their community.
The McCord-Horst Student Veteran Center hosted the VMA Paint and Sip Monday night. “That was about bringing in first-generation resources physically into the space where veterans are often most comfortable being,” San Miguel said. The Paint and Sip facilitated stress relief with art and refreshments.
According to San Miguel, almost two-thirds of the veteran and military-affiliated students at UCCS are first-generation students. First2Go’s burgeoning partnership with VMA includes crossover programming and joint events. San Miguel is working with VMA student success coordinator Jonelia Henselman to make sure events are “inclusive and accessible” to students with intersecting first-generation and VMA status.
Coffee and Chat, Tuesday morning’s event, is put on monthly by First2Go. Students and first-generation faculty and staff mentors can connect over a cup of coffee and snacks.
On Tuesday afternoon, First2Go and VMA hosted First-Gen and Veteran Student Trivia. Henselman gave a presentation on the overlap between first-generation and veteran experiences on campus and the resources available to these student groups they may not know about.
The Dinner and First-Gen Panel Tuesday night featured four first-gen students in different phases of college. The panel gave advice and made recommendations for successful college experiences. One of the main topics of discussion was, “How do you recognize and value the support your family gives you, even if it maybe isn’t the type of support that helps you understand how to navigate college?” San Miguel said.
Wednesday to Friday’s events were canceled due to weather, and those events will be rescheduled. Mountain Lion Connect and First2Go’s Newsletter will have details about rescheduling.
The first of Wednesday’s events was Networking 101, hosted by the career center, which allows career coaches to “break down some of the hidden curriculum of networking, LinkedIn and approaching companies of interest,” San Miguel said. The event was supposed to be led by Catherin Barrios, a career coach who was a first-generation student.
Wednesday was also scheduled to feature a “Knowing When to Ask for Help” workshop with the Wellness Center. The workshop focuses on mental health stigma within communities of color, overlapping with the experiences of first-generation students. The workshop was supposed to be a dialogue circle where students could open up about their experiences and learn that it is OK to ask for help.
San Miguel, a first-gen student herself, noted that first-gen students typically seek help in different ways than continuing-generation students. “A lot of the time, they try to solve their problems on their own first. It’s very independent, [we] don’t want to ask for help because we don’t need to ask for help. We shouldn’t have to ask for help because we should be able to do it right and do it right the first time,” she said.
Thursday’s First-Gen in STEM Research Panel was set to feature a student and faculty panel discussing their experiences and the importance of being involved in undergraduate research. First2Go partnered with biochemistry professor Amanda Morgenstern and the Science Center for the panel.
The First-Gen Faculty and Staff Workshop was about “supporting and educating staff and faculty on what a first-gen student’s experience looks like,” San Miguel said. The workshop would have promoted “asset-based frameworks,” a mindset for faculty to adopt that focuses on what each student brings to the table and building upon individuals’ experiences. San Miguel said this lecture may be recorded and sent out rather than rescheduled.
Friday’s Gratitude Gathering Drop-In partnered with International Affairs. This event was to allow students from all backgrounds to write a letter to someone who positively impacted their college experience. First2Go planned to mail all the letters for students, San Miguel said.
To close out the week, First2Go was planning to host an Alumni Mixer, where graduated first-generation and MOSAIC alumni were invited back to network and support current students.
In the coming months, First2Go’s goals include continuing to find and connect with first-generation students, developing collaborations with departments across campus and making hidden expectations explicit for students. “We’re in our growth phase,” San Miguel said.
Graphic courtesy of First2Go.