By A'Mya Kendrick
Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) students gathered at a tabling event outside the Powell Building in honor of National First-Generation College Celebration Day on Nov. 8, 2024. More than half of EKU’s freshman class are first-generation students, and 39% of EKU’s spring graduating class were the first in their families to attain a higher education degree.
“It’s incredible to think about the impact that EKU holds in transforming lives, communities and entire generations,” said EKU President David McFaddin. “Every other freshman here is the first in their families to take the bold step toward a college degree, as I was, and we are committed to providing the resources and support for our students to achieve success. Pioneering a new path brings unique challenges, and I commend our first-generation students for their dedication and perseverance.”
National First-Generation College Celebration Day commemorates the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. This landmark act established federal financial aid programs and initiatives to support students’ education.
The event at EKU on Nov. 8 offered hot chocolate, campus resource information and t-shirts to all first-generation students. Students expressed their excitement of being celebrated.
Hallie Burlew, an occupational science major from Gallatin County, Kentucky, shared what being first generation meant to her, saying, “It’s hard for people to believe. I want to prove that I can do this and want to do this.”
EKU offers an abundance of resources to aid in first-generation student success. The NOVA program offers several support services to ensure students realize their fullest potential, such as peer mentoring, registration parties and community-building events. The Student Success Center is a one-stop-shop where students can get assistance with an array of areas like coursework, financial aid, study skills, choosing a major, course registration, stress management and more. FirstKerns, a student organization, also serves and supports first-generation students by hosting events similar to the tabling event.
“There is a strong network of faculty, staff and students on campus that are here to support first-gen students,” said Sierrah Anderson, project director of EKU’s NOVA program, a federally-funded student support program that aims to increase the retention and graduation rates of first-generation and other students. “The more we do events like this to recognize first-generation students, the more people are aware of what it means to be first generation. More than half of our student body are first-gen students, which means we are making progress in our goal of making EKU the number one university for first-gen students.”
Every other year, EKU hosts a Gen1 conference where first-generation students are invited to meet other first-generation students, faculty and staff. The Gen1 Conference, which will be held again next year around National First-Generation College Celebration Day, honors and recognizes first-generation student achievements.
Carly Towles, freshman elementary education major from Gallatin County, Kentucky, emphasized the importance of events like these. She said, “It's cool to be a part of it, to be the first in your family to go to college and to be celebrated.”