The university is stepping in for families who cannot fully support and advise their first-generation college students.
More than one out of three PNW undergraduates have parents who never completed a four-year college degree. That fact and the university’s historic efforts to help those students succeed resulted in PNW last year being designated a First Scholar Institution by the Center for First-Generation Student Success.
Kicking off support for First-Gen students this semester, PNW held a two-day “It’s All New to Me Too” event at both the Hammond and Westville campuses. Program speakers shared stories about their own experiences being the first in their families to enroll in college. The mission was to help these students understand that help is available, said Mayra Hernandez, assistant director for the First Generation Office. She said such programs are important to support students who come from families with no college experience.
A first-generation college student herself, Hernandez said the program’s goals are “to celebrate first-generation students, get [them] excited about the year and [let them] know that there is community behind them.”
She said that is critical to offer these students support since they do not have “historical context that family can provide to their kids.”
Gabby Kniola, a senior majoring in English who attended the program, said she enjoyed networking with different people here who know how to get to different resources.
“Liz Depew [vice chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs] was telling me about ways that I can get my master’s program paid for,” said Kniola. “She was even talking about bypassing the master’s program and going straight into a Ph.D. program and how I can get that paid for.”
At the Hammond campus Cristina Sanchez, an alumna from PNW, was the guest speaker. She opened up to the audience explaining her struggles being a first-generation student herself. This touched some of the PNW students and grabbed their attention.
Camila Martinez, a freshman majoring in Psychology, said she enjoyed hearing alumna Cristina Sanchez discuss the experience of being a first-generation student.
“I could relate a lot to her story as I’m part of an immigrant family,” she said.
The Office of First Generation College Student Initiatives has programs at least once a month to ensure that students can attend several events over the school semester.
