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Syracuse University Libraries

First-Generation Celebration Week: Home

This guide will highlight collections in celebration of first generation students.

About the Display

Why Celebrate on November 8

FGCC is celebrated annually on November 8 to commemorate the signing of the Higher Education Act (“HEA”) of 1965 by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson. This act created federal financial aid programs to fund students’ educations and made key investments in colleges and universities. Many of the HEA’s programs, particularly the Federal TRIO programs, promote postsecondary access, retention, and completion for today’s limited-income, first-generation college students.


FGCC strives not only to celebrate first-gen students’ contributions to their communities but also to occasion systemic social change by dismantling barriers to first-generation student success. Through this intentional advocacy focus, FGCC engages key constituencies in building upon the work left unfinished by the HEA. 
 
First-Generation College Celebration (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 (COE) and FirstGen Forward (FGF, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success) hosted the inaugural celebration in 2017, hundreds of higher education institutions, corporations, government officials, non-profits, and K-12 schools have joined together in recognizing the achievements of the first-generation community on and around November 8.
 
https://firstgen.naspa.org/engagement/first-generation-college-celebration

Related Syracuse University Events

Below will be a list of events happening throughout this week. If you would like to see the full descriptions, please visit the First-Generation College Celebration Week page.

Exploring the First-Gen Student Experience
Come check out the book display and the "I Am First" display, which highlights the history of the first-generation identity in higher education, the diverse definitions of "first-generation" and inspiring profiles of current first-generation students on campus as well as first-generation faculty and staff members.
When: All Week (November 4-8)
Where: Bird Library, First Floor

Sign Your Class Banner
Celebrate your first-generation experience and leave your mark on Syracuse University history!
When: All Week (November 4-8)
Where: Intercultural Collective Suite, Schine Student Center

VPA Career Services: No Shame November (Resume Review)
When: Monday, November 4, 2024 at 11:30am-1:30pm
Where: Comstock Art Facility

Crafting Your Pitch with Career Services
When: Monday, November 4, 2024 at 1:45-2:45pm
Where: 104 Tolley Building

Lead the Way: A First-Gen Panel Discussion
When: Monday, November 4, 2024 at 4:00-6:00pm
Where: Bird Library, Peter Graham Scholarly Commons (Room 114)

VPA Career Services: No Shame November (Resume Review)
When: Tuesday, November 5, 2024 at 11:30am-1:30pm
Where: Shaffer Art Facility

Open House with CLASS
Stop by CLASS and explore the variety of individual and group academic support services available to you!
When: Tuesday, November 5, 2024 at 3:30-5:30pm
Where: Bird Library, Room 014

Connecting First-Gen: An Affinity Group Kick-Off
Meet fellow first-gens, share your experiences, sign you class banner, and enjoy some light refreshments!
When: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 11:00am-1:00pm
Where: Intercultural Collective Suite, Schine Student Center

VPA Career Services: No Shame November (Resume Review)
When: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 11:30am-1:30pm
Where: Nancy Cantor Warehouse

Thriving as a First-Generation Professional: Navigating the Workforce with Confidence
This trauma-informed workshop is designed to empower first-generation college students as they prepare to enter the professional workforce. Participants will explore practical strategies for overcoming challenges unique to first-generation professionals, such as navigating workplace dynamics, developing self-advocacy, and managing financial independence.
When: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 1:30-3:30pm
Where: 103 Huntington Hall

Build Your Professional Network: A First-Gen Week Event
Do you need to build your professional network, but don't know where to start? Start here! Networking unlocks life-changing conversations, mentorships, internships and jobs.
When: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 4:00-5:00pm
Where: Virtual

Research and Funding Opportunities: Open House for First-Gen Students
Stop by for an open house to learn about the research, fellowship, and other resources and opportunities with the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA), Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE), Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) and the Lender Center for Social Justice. Students from all majors are encouraged to attend.
When: Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 11:30am-1:30pm
Where: 208 Bowne Hall

VPA Career Services: No Shame November (Resume Review)
When: Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 11:30am-1:30pm
Where: Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College

First-Generation College Celebration Resource Fair
Kick off National First-Generation College Celebration Day with our resource fair! Discover a wealth of opportunities designed to support first-generation students like you.
When: Friday, November 8, 2024 at 10:30-11:30am
Where: Huntington Hall, Jacquet Commons

VPA Career Services: No Shame November (Resume Review)
When: Friday, November 8, 2024 at 11:30am-1:30pm
Where: Drama Complex

"Living Between Worlds" with Tiana Faye Soto
Join us for this year's National First-Generation College Celebration keynote event! This year's keynote on "Living Between Worlds" with Tianna Faye Soto centers on the first-generation experience.
When: Friday, November 8, 2024 at 11:30am-1:30pm
Where: Huntington Hall, Jacquet Commons

10 Things You Don't Know You Don't Know (about Grad School)
When:
 Friday, November 8, 2024 at 1:00-2:00pm
Where: Virtual (Registration Required)

About Our Curator

With self-identified first-generation college students making up 19% (2020) of the student body, I am so thrilled that Syracuse University is hosting its first ever full week honoring National First-Generation College Celebration. The vision of this year’s celebration is to bring first-generation college students to the forefront by highlighting the first-generation experience. In doing so, we hope to not only nurture SU’s first-gen community, but also cultivate a campus climate that better understands the true intersectionality that is embedded in the first-gen experience. 

During the week of November 4th through 8th, there will be two displays located on the 1st Floor of Bird Library. The book display features titles that explore the spectrum of the first-generation college student experience through first-generation college authors and researchers. In addition, there is a poster display that highlights some of Syracuse University’s very own first-generation students, faculty, and staff, as well as the history of first-generation college students in the United States. With the posters, I really wanted to give our first-generation affiliates a dedicated space to shine, as well as give them a platform to reach out to the campus whether that be connecting with other first-gens or bringing more awareness from outside of the community!

Tiffani-Marie Fite
Program Coordinator of First-Generation Programs and the Kessler Scholars Program