Jacob Phillips and Rebecca Fallon honored with First-Generation Champion Awards

[Link]Jacob Phillips and Rebecca Fallon received the First-Generation Champion Award from Alpha Alpha Alpha.

Dec. 13, 2024

The University of Missouri chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha), National Honor Society for First-Generation Students, recently recognized two Tigers for their exceptional accomplishments.

The University of Missouri recently added the Tri-Alpha chapter, which aims to assist in the professional development of first-generation students who showcase exceptional academics and involvement on campus.

Jacob Phillips and Rebecca Fallon were honored with the First-Generation Champion Award at the Tri-Alpha induction ceremony, where 170 students, faculty and staff were inducted into the chapter.

Phillips, from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, is a junior studying social work in the College of Health Sciences. Phillips is treasurer of the First-Gen Tigers student organization, co-president and founding member of TRiO Student Organization (TSO), and a member of the Council of Student Social Workers. He also volunteers as a patient escort at the veterans' hospital.

"I am extremely honored and grateful to receive the First-Generation Champion Award," Phillips said. "I am also grateful to the peers, mentors and programs that have supported me. Being a first-generation student requires a lot of perseverance, resilience and a commitment to overcoming barriers. This award is a reflection of those characteristics and reflects the value of the entire first-generation community."

Fallon is a senior academic advisor at the Truman School of Government and Public Affairs in the College of Arts & Science. She advises students majoring in economics, political science, and public administration and policy.

A first-generation student, Fallon graduated with honors from the Missouri School of Journalism in May 2010 and has been advising students ever since. She moved into her current role in 2014, having previously worked at the Missouri College Advising Corps, a college-access advising program. Since 2021, she has co-facilitated the Trailblazers: First-Generation Freshman Interest Group.

"Getting to work with first-generation students is a true highlight of my job as an advisor," Fallon said. "As a first-generation college student myself, I know that you must be more - more motivated, more resilient, more determined - to walk across the stage at Commencement. As the first recipient of this award, I feel empowered to continue helping first-gen students forge their own path, with a little nudge from someone who has been there before."

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Missouri School of Journalism | MU College of Arts & Science | MU College of Health Sciences

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