On April 25, the UM First-Gen Student Network, Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement, Center for Student Success and First-Year Experience, Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the University of Mississippi Graduate School hosted the inaugural Evening of First-Gen Excellence to celebrate the accomplishments of graduating first-generation students. First-generation undergraduate and graduate students took the stage to receive honors and congratulations from Chancellor Glenn Boyce.
Photo by Hal Fox.
“This is our first celebration of first-generation college students graduating and getting to this stage,” Ashleen Williams, advisor to the First-Generation Student Network, said. “This is a chance to also celebrate their families and acknowledge the important role that they play.”
Sha’Cori Ruffin, a senior accounting major and first-generation college student, spoke at the event, sharing her experiences and the challenges she overcame over the course of her college experience.
“We left our families behind in hopes of pursuing a better life for ourselves and them, with a deep desire to make them proud and happy,” she said. “The pressure was always there. You are left questioning, should I be here? But through this, you have to remember that you are the first. You will make them remember your name and the legacy you create.”
First-generation college students often face more challenges than students with families that attended college, as their family members are often unable to impart crucial knowledge about the inner workings of college life before they step foot on campus.
“Having a first-generation support network is important to our campus, not just for the students, but also for helping our campus understand that students come here and they face many challenges,” Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Noel Wilkin said.
“We want all of our campus community to embrace them, help them to understand what the path forward may be for them and ensure they have the support they need to complete their degrees.”
Aside from undergraduate students, many of the first-generation students honored at the event celebrated the completion of their graduate programs and thesis assignments.
“In the graduate space, it can feel like everybody knows exactly what they’re doing. There’s a lot of pressure to make it seem like you know everything, and so it can be a particularly challenging and isolating experience,” Dean of the Graduate School Annette Kluck said.
A strong sense of pride and gratitude was palpable throughout the entire event as students honored and thanked their mentors and family members for supporting them throughout their college careers.
“I am proud to be a first-generation student. I am proud to go back and tell my family about my experiences and my achievements, and to see the smiles on their faces as they see the smile on mine,” Ruffin said.
