Celebrating Suffolk’s First-Gen Community

From November 3-9, Suffolk celebrates its first-generation college students, faculty, and staff with a weeklong event series—including a first-ever first-gen national honor society ceremony

When Suffolk University hosts its First-Generation Celebration Week from Friday, November 3 through Thursday, November 9, Lisa Rivera will be leading the way.

Rivera is Suffolk’s first director of first-generation student initiatives, as well as a first-generation college student herself, and she knows just how deserving Suffolk’s first-gen students, faculty, and staff are of recognition.

“This year we want to celebrate all the strengths that got us where we are today,” Rivera says—including the resilience, courage, and creativity it takes to be “a first,” navigating new and sometimes daunting environments. “Not knowing whether you are asking the right questions or making the right moves puts you in a much more vulnerable space,” she says. But first-gen students learn how to “move forward anyway,” she adds. “We do this to honor our families, support systems, and advocates.”

The Department of Education defines first-generation college students as those whose parent(s) have not completed a bachelor’s degree by the time of the students’ 18th birthday. According to the national Center for First-Generation Student Success, today one in three US undergraduates identify as first-gen.

Rivera and the staff of the Center for First-Generation & Educational Equity have put together a full schedule of daily events open to the entire Suffolk community. While Wednesday, November 8 is national First-Gen Day, notes Student Success Advisor Bryan Landgren, “Suffolk is one of the few colleges and universities in the country that takes a full week to celebrate our first-gen community.”

This also marks the third-straight year that Suffolk has been recognized as a First-Gen Forward institution by the Center for First-Generation Student Success. More than one-third of Suffolk undergraduates are the first members of their family to attend a four-year college or university; among first-year students, the figure is more than 40%.

“At this year’s First-Gen Week, we want to celebrate all the strengths that got us where we are today.”
Lisa Rivera Director of First-Generation Student Initiatives

A first-time honor society chapter for the first-gen community

Two major events bookend First-Gen Week. The first is “Understanding SuffolkONE: Celebrating First-Gen at Suffolk University,” a dinner celebration on Monday, November 6, featuring a talk by Peter Fowler, the University’s assistant provost for retention and himself a first-gen student and Double Ram (5:30-7:30 p.m., Smith Commons, Sargent Hall). “Peter has lived this,” says Rivera, “and he has a real history here.”

The second bookend is the inaugural induction ceremony for the Suffolk chapter of Tri-Alpha, the national honor society for first-gen college students, on Thursday, November 9 (5:30-7 p.m., Keches Room, Sargent Hall). More than 70 students and 10 faculty and staff members will be inducted into the chapter, which Rivera chartered earlier this spring. Chemistry Professor Kelsey Stocker, herself a first-gen student, will serve as a faculty co-advisor for the chapter, which will hold social activities as well as another induction ceremony during spring term.

“Tri-Alpha is a great way to get people on campus involved and build community,” Rivera says—including allies and first-gen advocates, who can also join Tri-Alpha.

The week’s events—many of them co-sponsored by other campus partners—also include:

  • November 3, 11:30 a.m.: First-Gen Friday lunch and alumni social for Boston Public School students
  • November 7, 12:30 p.m.: “Chew on This,” a panel discussion with BIPOC and first-gen student panelists sharing their experiences maintaining mental and physical health
  • November 7, 5:30 p.m.: Movie night featuring In the Heights, based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award–winning musical
  • November 8, 12:30 p.m.: “Sharing First-Gen Strategies and Experiences,” a special session for first-gen faculty and staff and their supporters to brainstorm best practices and explore a possible new Employee Resource Group
  • November 8, 6 p.m.: Open Talent Night featuring first-gen singers, dancers, and performers
  • November 9, 12:30 p.m.: “Here Today, Discovering Tomorrow,” a panel discussion exploring travel, leadership, and scholarly opportunities for first-gen students

You can find a complete schedule of events and registration information here.

Center for First-Gen & Ed Equity staffers Lisa Rivera, director of first-generation student initiatives; Tyrza Milord, student support coordinator, Upward Bound; Samienta Alexis, program director, Upward Bound; Ashely Booker, program manager, Veterans Upward Bound; Abraham Peña, executive director; Bryan Landgren, student success advisor, McNair Scholars Program; Jennifer Waden, associate director, Veterans Upward Bound; Nicholas Charrette, program director, Veterans Upward Bound; Jarvis Chen, program director, McNair Scholars Program.
First-Gen Week features daily events organized by members of the Center for First-Generation & Educational Equity: (from left) Lisa Rivera, director of first-generation student initiatives; Tyrza Milord, student support coordinator, Upward Bound; Samienta Alexis, program director, Upward Bound; Ashley Booker, program manager, Veterans Upward Bound; Abraham Peña, executive director; Bryan Landgren, student success advisor, McNair Scholars Program; Jennifer Waden, associate director, Veterans Upward Bound; Nicholas Charrette, program director, Veterans Upward Bound; Jarvis Chen, program director, McNair Scholars Program.

Contact

Greg Gatlin
Office of Public Affairs
617-573-8428

Ben Hall
Office of Public Affairs
617-573-8092