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The office of Student Access and Support Services hosted a First Gen Forward event on Nov. 8. to provide insight into college life as a first-gen student and the vast amount of resources MU provides.
The event was held for prospective first-generation junior and senior students from the TRIO Talent Search program, and Millersville University students, faculty and staff were also invited to attend. Each high school student was afforded the ability to make connections with current MU students who share similar backgrounds.
Throughout the day, visiting students from Reading High School attended several presentations about what it means to be a first-gen student as well as the financial and social aspects of it. MU First Gems, a student club for first-gen students on campus, hosted a student panel for the attending high schoolers. A financial literacy presentation was held and provided resources and insight on how to pay for college as a first-gen student. Short-term and long-term goals are kept in mind when planning these events and the resources provided within them. SASS shares what they want high school students to get out of this event.
“Post-secondary education is attainable for them being first-generation,” says Bemnet Bekele, project coordinator for Talent Search at Millersville. “For them to be able to see themselves on campus whether that be networking with faculty and staff, we’re hoping that they will build those long-term relationships.”
The team at SASS wants to provide an accurate depiction of what it means to be a first gen student and clear up any misconceptions about what it means to be one. First-gen individuals are those whose immediate parents did not complete a bachelor’s degree in college. Grandparents and siblings who have completed a bachelor’s degree do not affect a person’s status.
“The Talent Search Program is excited to celebrate even more first-generation students throughout the month,” says Bekele.
For more information about Talent Search and the pre-college programs they offer, visit the Talent Search page.
