CHARLESTON, WV – College for West Virginia (CFWV), along with colleges and universities across the state and nation, celebrated first-generation college students, faculty, staff, and alumni in West Virginia. The Nov. 8 First-Generation College Celebration Day events included notable first-generation alumni, highlights of first-generation students and programs, first-generation faculty discussions in classrooms, and workshops that promoted student success and retention.
“First-generation college students and graduates are trailblazers,” said Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s Chancellor of Higher Education. “They are paving the way to a successful future for themselves and their families. Their commitment to achieving their goals inspires new generations of learners. With such a high number of West Virginia college students being the first in their family to enroll in college, I am thrilled that our institutions are rallying around this initiative.”
First-Generation College Celebration Day occurs on this day – the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965 – every year. According to the Center of First-Generation Student Success, as of academic year 2015-16, 56 percent of undergraduates nationally were first-generation college students (neither parent had a bachelor’s degree), and 59 percent of these students also were the first sibling in their family to go to college. The event highlights the accomplishments of first-generation students and the importance of support that helps these students navigate the college-going process, setting the stage for success when they arrive on campus.
In West Virginia, programs like TRIO, West Virginia GEAR UP, and the First2 Network are designed to support first-generation student success.
Institutions participating in West Virginia’s First-Generation College Celebration were:
- Blue Ridge Community & Technical College
- Bluefield State University
- BridgeValley Community & Technical College
- Concord University
- Davis & Elkins College
- Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College
- Fairmont State University
- Glenville State University
- Marshall University
- New River Community & Technical College
- Pierpont Community & Technical College
- Potomac State College
- Shepherd University
- Southern West Virginia Community & Technical College
- West Liberty University
- West Virginia Northern Community College
- West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
- West Virginia State University
- West Virginia University
- West Virginia University at Parkersburg
- West Virginia University Institute of Technology
To learn more about the First-Generation College Celebration in West Virginia, visit https://www.cfwvconnect.com/first-generation-college-celebration/.
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The national First-Generation College Celebration is an initiative of the Council for Opportunity in Education and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators’ Center for First-Generation Student Success.