Many students are born into families that have prior college experience and have the support, resources, and connections they need from the get-go. For others, they experience a tricky path to the college experience, and it can be a lonely and difficult journey during the first years. Welcome, first generation student. We see you.
My supervisor at UWB libraries, Laura, came up with a great way to support first generation college students at CC/UWB by co-creating a new LibGuide. This is still in the brainstorming phase, and there have been a lot of great ideas shared so far. We understand that first generation students need more support, resources, and alliances than the many well-equiped second, third, etc. generations. What constitutes qualifying for 'first generation' status and/or who identifies with it?
According to the Center for First-Generation Student Success (firstgen.naspa.org), the term “first-generation” implies the possibility that a student may lack the critical cultural capital necessary for college success because their parents did not attend college (See more on their website here). First generation students are bright, capable, hard-working, and eager to be an equal and confident member of the campus community.
I was a first generation college student so I know how hard it can be to navigate the first few years or more. It's an added pressure that can feel overwhelming at times. About twenty years ago, I earned my bachelors degree from University of Washington Bothell with a major in Global Studies and a minor in Human Rights. I'll be honest - during my college years there were plenty of instances where I had to "wing it" and I could have used a first generation LibGuide for a quick reference. I am excited to be a part of Lauras LibGuides team to pool resources and experiences together for future and current first generation college students at CC/UWB.
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