By Maddie Jarmola, Assistant Dean of Students for Persistence and Completion
At St. Catherine University, we rolled out the red carpet for first-gen pride with an event lineup packed full of heart, inspiration, and lots of delicious eats! Here’s a peek into our month of activities- all designed to support first generation students, their triumphs, struggles and path to a brighter future!
🎬 Film Event: “First Voice Generation”
What happens when you combine resilience, ambition, and a documentary that hits close to home? You get First Voice Generation, a film that follows first generation students navigating their senior year and prepping for college amid COVID-19 chaos. St. Kate’s invited director and producer Cynthia Martinez to engage with students after a viewing of her film. Students were able to ask questions, reflect on their own experiences, and enjoy being in community with one another.
Students who attended the film screening really felt like their lived experience was reflected on the screen! They thanked the producer for highlighting the journey that so many first generation students go through and giving voice to students who often feel like they are forgotten.
🎤 Panel Magic
This year, the First Generation Celebration planning team tagged in some amazing alumni! Working with Alumni Relations, we put together a panel of distinguished alum who were able to speak about their experience as first gen students at St. Kates. Over 20 people were able to attend and engage, both in person and online. The panel was facilitated by one of our new staff members who has deep connections to the first generation student experience.
Students loved getting to hear from people who are in the workforce, who were able to navigate their journey at St. Kates as first generation students. They asked thoughtful questions and were able to learn more about the shared experiences of first generation students, especially those that also have caretaking responsibilities. Students thought it was really engaging and a unique way to connect with the St. Kate’s alumni.
✍️ Storyboards That Reflect You!
We created a story board gallery that displayed images and stories about current and former first generation students at St. Kates. Students were able to walk through the gallery, grab snacks and read about the incredible people in our community who were navigating their first generation journey. Students were encouraged to take pictures in front of a fun backdrop, make buttons and enjoy a space made especially for them! During our storyboard gallery, we also had an opportunity for students to take a group picture, representing any faculty, staff or student who identified as first generation. This was a great opportunity for students to meet those in the community who they might not otherwise know! We displayed this picture on our institution’s social media, alongside information about future events happening that would highlight the first generation student experience!
St. Catherine University thanks TIAA and the Strada Education Foundation for their generous sponsorship of the First-Generation College Celebration. The #CelebrateFirstGen grant funds enabled us to scale our efforts to connect with and support more first-gen students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
