First Gen Too!

As of this fall, roughly 20% of Whitman students are first-generation students, meaning they will be the first person in their immediate family to attend and graduate from a four-year college or university. Being first-gen can be difficult. So many aspects of higher education culture are hidden or unofficial. So many subtle messages that you don’t belong. So many pressures and presumptions. Being first-gen can also feel isolating. First-gen folks often carry the burden and responsibility of forging new pathways for those who will follow. But first-gen students are among the scores of talented people changing the face of higher education with their presence and brilliance. The contributions of first-gen students are important and their identities are rich, multilayered and diverse. In addition to being first-gen, they are leaders, they are scholars, and they are not alone. One in five Whitman students are first-gen and many faculty and staff at the college are First Gen Too!

In the days ahead, the Division of Inclusive Excellence will be launching a campaign dedicated to fostering a community where every first-gen member of our campus feels recognized, valued, and empowered. The "First Gen Too!" campaign is designed to celebrate, uplift and support our first-generation students, staff and faculty. 

What’s Happening:

First Gen Too! Launch Event (students) - Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. 
Join us at the Glover Alston Intercultural Center to celebrate the first-gen community. We will be distributing a special “First Gen Too!” t-shirt to the first 100 first-gen students in attendance.

First Gen Too! Poster Campaign (staff and faculty)
We invite first-gen staff and faculty to sign up to be added to a first-gen email list and receive a First Gen Too! poster. The poster can be displayed on your office door or near your workstation to proclaim your first-gen identity and signal your support for students in the first-gen community.

First Gen Too! Mentorship Program (coming soon)
Later this semester, the Intercultural Center will launch a first-gen student mentorship program designed to connect first-gen students with other first-gen folks who can provide guidance, support and a sense of belonging. Whether you're interested in being a mentor or a mentee, you can sign up now to receive updates and information about this upcoming program.