Northwest to participate in annual celebration of first-generation students

Oct. 25, 2024 | By Kathleen Harner, communication assistant

Northwest Missouri State University will again participate in a national celebration of first-generation students.

The event, which is free and open to all Northwest students, will take place from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, in the B.D. Owens Library with the theme of "Tell Us Your Story." The event is supported by Wellness Services, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and TRIO.

A popcorn bar will be provided with beverages, and students will be encouraged to share their experiences.

Students will receive notebooks to write their stories and have an opportunity to enter a raffle to win prizes related to the theme. The grand prize is a Kindle Scribe, and a $250 scholarship will be awarded to a student attending the event.

A first-generation student is someone whose parents or legal guardians did not graduate from a four-year college or university. At Northwest, 34 percent of undergraduate students are first-generation, and 36 percent of first-time freshmen this fall identify as first-generation students.

St. Louis native Darren Ross graduated from Northwest last spring, completing a bachelor's degree in computer science as a first-year student. He returned to the University this fall and is pursing a master's degree in applied computer science.

"You are able to take on something that your family has not done, and you're curious about finishing a four-year degree," Ross said. "It is just a monumental achievement, not only for yourself, but also for starting that possibility of others behind you - whether that's your own future generation or maybe that's your own family members."

As part of Northwest's focus on first-generation students, the University Seminar program offers four sections for new students who self-identify as first-generation. The sections are taught by first-generation faculty and staff and support the successful transition and mentorship of first-generation students.

Northwest's celebration coincides with a nationwide initiative sponsored by the Council for Opportunity for Education and the Center for First-Generation Student Success. Now in its eighth year, this year's First-Generation College Celebration marks the 59th anniversary of the signing of the 1965 Higher Education Act, which has helped millions of people become the first members of their families to earn college degrees. To learn more, visit https://firstgen.naspa.org/.