What does good support for first-gen students look like?

I recently read the article “First-Generation College-Goers: Unprepared and Behind” in the Atlantic.

A few lines about Yale stood out to me. The author quoted Christian Vazquez, a first-gen Yale graduate. He says, ‘There’s a lot of support at Yale, to an extent, after a while, there’s too much support,’ he said, half-jokingly about the myriad resources available at the school.’”

We learn a bit more about Yale’s support systems, “Students are placed in small cohorts with counselors (trained seniors on campus); they have access to cultural and ethnic affinity groups, tutoring centers and also have a summer orientation specifically for first-generation students (the latter being one of the most common programs for students).”

First-Generation Students and Social Class Links

November 7, 2014: Interview with ‘Poor Teeth’ Writer Sarah Smarsh on Class and Journalism

Really great interview with Sarah Smarsh, in which she offers insight into the way media frames poor people.

November 20, 2014: First generation summit helps students claim their stories

The University of Florida recently held a first generation summit aimed at helping students learn how to claim and tell their stories. There are so many particularities about the college experience and learning how to share that with others in an honest way is an important undertaking.