First-gen graduates find careers supporting other first-gen students
June 15, 2020
UAF’s designation this spring as a First-gen Forward institution recognized the university’s work with students who are the first in their family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. The Nanook Diversity and Action Center has partnered with Student Support Services on UAF’s First Gen AK initiative, a program designed to celebrate the accomplishments of first-generation students and build community among first-gen students, faculty and staff.
Two people helping direct the effort are themselves first-generation college graduates. Ronnie Houchin is the associate director for student engagement, and Victoria Smith is the director of Student Support Services.
“Higher education wasn’t prioritized in my community in rural Indiana,” said Houchin. “My dad didn’t finish high school and no one in my family knew anything about college.”
After what he describes as stumbling his way into college, Houchin found friends and mentors who helped him navigate his new and intimidating world, and who helped translate academic jargon into words he could understand.
Houchin earned his B.A. as a double major in Germanic studies and gender studies from Indiana University, but his experiences as a first-generation student led him to his current profession.
“I’ve chosen a career in higher education to help other folks from first-generation and underrepresented backgrounds find their place and achieve their definition of success in college,” he said.
Student Support Services is funded in part by a federal TRiO grant, which supports outreach and student services programs that identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
UAF’s SSS director, Victoria Smith, knows the benefits of the TRiO programs first-hand. She attended Upward Bound Math-Science and was a student in the UAF SSS program. She eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s in Arctic and Northern studies, both from UAF.
Smith says her work in student support is “inherently personal.”
“When I was a student, I didn’t know that the odds were stacked against me,” she said. “I didn’t have a clue that a kid from my background, first-gen and on food stamps, had less than a 10% chance of graduating with a bachelor's degree by age 24. At SSS, we make it our mission to help close the equity gaps for students from underrepresented or under-resourced backgrounds.”
The uncertain future of how students will learn in the era of COVID-19 troubles the two student services professionals. While online learning lowers barriers for some students, it can create obstacles for others.
“I think about how many first-gen students are low-income and how these students may not have access to the technology needed for online classes,” Houchin said. “I also think about whether their K-12 education prepared them for online learning.”
The loss of in-person contact is another risk that student services staff are trying to reduce, but it isn’t easy. In a typical year, First-Gen AK starts the academic season with a breakfast during New Student Orientation. Other activities include participating in the Celebration of National First-Generation College Student Day on Nov. 8 and holding a first-generation baccalaureate cording ceremony in the spring, shortly before commencement, which was turned into a virtual event in May.
“I worry that they'll feel even more disconnected from campus and key resources they need to be successful. Without that connection, they may struggle more with the motivation to follow through with their education,” Smith said. “It's made me think really critically about how best to effectively engage our students and keep our programming relevant to their needs.”
“A sense of belonging is huge for first-gen students,” she said.
First Gen AK is launching a new mentorship program that will pair first-generation staff and faculty at UAF with first-gen students. Aug. 18, 2020, is the deadlines for the fall semester cohort, but mentor applications are accepted throughout the year.
For more information about First Gen AK, contact Ronnie Houchin at rshouchin@alaska.edu or Victoria Smith at vrsmith@alaska.edu.