UAF to celebrate first-gen students Nov. 8-12
A UAF first-gen student poses before picking up their first-gen cord for commencement.
Nov. 3, 2021
National First-Generation College Celebration Day on Monday, Nov. 8, will kick off a week of activities at UAF in honor of first-generation college students.
UAF will join colleges and universities throughout the nation for National First-Generation College Celebration Day on Monday, Nov. 8, to kick off a week of activities in honor of first-generation college students.
This year’s events include a keynote address by UAF alumnus Thomas C. Hughes, first-gen pub trivia, a poetry slam and art show, and more. There is a session specifically for staff and faculty to learn more about first-gen efforts at the national level. Register here to participate in this lunch-and-learn session on Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. Registration closed for this event.
UA Giving Day falls during the week-long celebration, and this year donors who choose to participate can direct their donation directly to support first-gen students at UAF.
“I am so grateful for the support and movement from the university to help celebrate our first-generation student population,” said Claire Swanson, the first-generation student success graduate assistant. “We have seen so much growth already, and I’m looking forward to seeing how Giving Day will impact that.”
UAF Student Support Services, Nanook Diversity and Action Center, EPSCoR Fire and Ice, and the UAF Alumni Association have partnered on the week’s events.
“As a first-generation college graduate and the first in my extended family to earn a master’s degree, I consider it a privilege to be a part of these initiatives on our campus,” said Victoria Smith, director of UAF Student Support Services. “First-gen students, staff and faculty, as well as allies from every corner of the university, should be incredibly proud of the mentorship and programming that is happening at UAF. Every year our team works to better serve those who are the first in their family to take this leap of faith and invest in themselves, their families, and their future careers through higher education.”
For more information, email Claire Swanson at cswanson4@alaska.edu or Victoria Smith at vrsmith@alaska.edu.