UK celebrates first-gen college students with week of events
By Ryan Girves
UKNow
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 8, 2024) — First-Generation Student Services, housed in the Office for Student Success at the University of Kentucky, will celebrate the annual First-Generation College Celebration (FGCC) with a week of events targeted toward the first-generation community.
FGCC is an annual opportunity to raise awareness of the first-generation college student identity by advancing an asset-based, national narrative of these students’ experiences and outcomes. Since the Council for Opportunity in Education and FirstGen Forward hosted the inaugural celebration in 2017, hundreds of higher education institutions, corporations, government officials, nonprofit organizations and K-12 schools have joined together in recognizing the achievements of the first-gen community on and around Nov. 8.
Although this annual celebration is important, UK is committed to supporting the academic, career and personal goals of its first-generation students through year-round resources like advising, scholarships and student organizations. First-generation students offer valuable and unique perspectives that are necessary to engage in richer intellectual discourse. To celebrate the integral role they play, UK wishes to honor and bring recognition to this through First-Gen Week.
Events for the week include:
Nov. 8: National First-Gen Day
- Noon-1 p.m.: Cat Chat Live: First-Generation College Celebration Day
- 4:30-5:45 p.m.: First-Generation Student Org: General Body Meeting
Nov. 11
- 11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Let’s Glow: First-Gen Week Kick Off!
- 3-4 p.m.: Glow Abroad: First-Gen Study Abroad Session
- 6-8 p.m.: Glow BINGO: A Celebration of Community
Nov. 12
- 2-3 p.m.: Glow Together: Faculty and Student Insights
- 4-6 p.m.: Glow Where You Are Planted: First-Gen Experiences
Nov. 13
- 6-7 p.m.: Tri-Alpha Induction
Nov. 14
- 9-10:30 a.m.: Faculty and Staff Advocate Mixer
- 5:30-6:30 p.m.: More Money, More Glow: Women of the Bluegrass
Nov. 15
- 11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Pop N’ Glow: Grab-and-Go Resources
To learn more about First-Generation Student Services and its resources, visit studentsuccess.uky.edu/first-generation-student-services.
At the University of Kentucky, students are at the center of all that we do. From the moment you become a Wildcat through graduation and beyond, the Office for Student Success is committed to supporting you. Comprised of five areas and 25 units, together, they have one vision — to help students live a life of meaning. Student Success works through an equitable, holistic and inclusive lens to design and deliver unparalleled services and support a diverse community of learners in achieving their wildest ambitions. In the Office for Student Success this is what we do — this is who we are. You can explore resources available to you here. If you have additional questions, you can reach a Student Success team member by calling the helpline 859-218-YouK (9685).