The UNMC College of Public Health (UNMC COPH) is home to many first-generation students who bring their unique and impactful experiences to campus. These students are essential to the entire college’s framework, which is why we are committed to creating a supportive environment that ensures their success. This year, we showcased this by celebrating National First-Generation Day with the support of the NASPA First-Generation Day grant.
We kicked off our celebration by inviting students, staff and faculty to come together and grab free donuts and coffee while sharing their experiences. There, attendees wore first-generation stickers and took photos with props in front of a decorated backdrop to proudly represent their backgrounds. Another feature was the vision wall, which invited anyone to pick up a marker and write down their goals for the future. This celebration let us highlight the support system that exists for first-generation students within the college. It was a wonderful way to let students, faculty and staff engage in meaningful conversations while fostering the sense of community that has helped so many students during their academic journeys.
In addition to the celebration, we also hosted a video panel of former and current first-generation students and faculty. The student panel members included graduate students in dentistry, microbiology, epidemiology, and more. This wide variety of experience provided many unique perspectives as panelists shared their personal stories and paths towards success. The event touched on the difficulties that panelists encountered, resources they relied on, strategies they used and how they prevented burnout.
At one point, panelist and UNMC COPH Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs Nicole Kolm-Valdivia, PhD, MPH, CHES, reflected on her time as a first-generation student. Her thoughts summarized the message that many brought up throughout the session.
“I think being a first-gen graduate has really shaped my perspective and my role,” said Kolm-Valdivia. “When I think back to the challenges of having to navigate something that you’ve never gone through, and you don’t have family members who can guide you in that, there’s a lot to it.”
To spread their stories like Kolm-Valdivia’s further, we also featured all the panelists and other first-generation students, faculty and staff on our Instagram page through spotlight posts. The features asked why they are proud to be first-generation, what being first-generation meant to them and the advice they have for other first-generation students. This was another way to spread the message and it helped include those who could not attend. By highlighting the stories of people throughout the college, we were able to establish the support system on social media as well as in person.
It’s clear that first-generation students often have different college experiences than their peers. Understanding this idea is crucial when providing them with the support they deserve and setting them up for success long after graduation. National First-Generation Day may be over, but thanks to the support of the NASPA grant, UNMC COPH can continue to use the lessons we learned during it to uplift these students, faculty and staff year-round.