The University of New Haven celebrated National First-Generation Student Day with information about resources, arts and crafts and encouragement.
This day celebrates first-generation students and offers resources such as networking opportunities to students to be successful during and after their college career.
It is also a day to recognize and celebrate students for their achievements. The event celebrates students, staff and faculty achievements. The event drew students and faculty in conversations with each other. The topics revolved around the experiences of first-generation students, from experiences to choosing minors and majors.
Tables set around the Alumni Lounge held the resources consisting of information from the Career Development Center, Dean of Students Office, Myatt Center for Diversity and Inclusion, One Stop Office and Counseling and Psychological Services.
There were also arts and crafts stations such as tie-dye bucket hats and button making that said “I’m a first gen.” On all the tables were lists of questions to start up conversation, from “What is your major?” to “What is something that you need help with as a person that is a part of the first-generation population?”
Brian Ibarra, the associate director for case management and student support at the Dean of Students Office, said that as a first-generation student, he knows there are questions that he wishes he could have had answered to so “the resource fair is a way to support the first-generation students the best way possible by giving them the opportunity to ask questions they feel may help them.”
Izabella Mancini, president of the First-Generation Student Association and senior psychology major, then provided the group with a breakout of the arts and crafts portion of the gathering.
The audience then got a short message from Natalie Criniti, a career advisor at the CDC, who said she is a first-generation student and that many people have questions but that many stay quiet because of the question of “Do I belong?” and “Am I in the right place?” She said she wanted everyone to feel included because as a first-generation student, she knew how difficult it can feel to not be.
