DANBURY, Connecticut – Western Connecticut State University hosted an event for “first-gen” students — those who are the first in their families to attend college — that featured a mini-job fair and information about resources to help them stay and succeed in higher ed.
The ninth annual First-Generation College Celebration brought together students, alumni, faculty, staff, administrators, campus partners, employers and community organizations. The event connected students with resources, relationships, and career opportunities that can support their progress through college and beyond.
About half of WestConn’s students are first-generation, and the university is much more intentional in its support than it was when Rob Pote, the director of Pre-Collegiate and Access Programs, attended as a student athlete and graduated as a Communication/Theater Arts major.
Pote and his office organized the ninth annual first-gen event, with dozens of students attending and wearing orange-and-blue “I’m first” T-shirts.
WestConn’s network of supports includes the Educational Achievement & Access Program (EA²P), Promoting Academically Successful Students (PASS), funded by the Connecticut Department of Higher Education, and the federally funded TRIO programs Upward Bound and Student Support Services (SSS). These programs work alongside university departments to provide eligible students with academic support, advising, mentoring, financial literacy, encouragement and purposeful connections to campus resources.
The programs reflect the idea that access to college is only the first step, Pote said.
“Students also need structured academic support, advising, mentoring, financial literacy, and strong connections to campus resources so they can persist and ultimately earn a degree,” Pote said.
Elinelsi Perez, a junior in Justice and Law Administration, picked up literature and spoke with a recruiter from the FBI. While her grandmother graduated from college in the Dominican Republic, and both parents attended some college there, Perez said she appreciates the encouragement and guidance she receives in the Student Support Services program.
“The mentors help me try to balance my school schedule and my work schedule,” Perez said. “And then they gave me the support I needed with school.” She works at a local grocery store and reported she is doing well in her course work.
The goal of the first-gen event, Pote said, is to make sure students know about resources, understand how to access them, and feel comfortable asking for support.
The event gave students access to representatives from the Danbury Police Department, FBI, Upptik, Ives Bank, Danbury Public Schools, Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation, PMC-STS, Inc., Enterprise Mobility and Northwell Health. Participating WestConn offices and organizations included the Career Success Center, Financial Aid and Student Employment Office, Graduate Studies, Institute for Holistic Health Studies, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Student Government Association.
“The most important story is the students’ story,” Pote said. “They are balancing classes, employment, family responsibilities and personal goals while building a future for themselves and often creating new possibilities for their families. The celebration gives the university an opportunity to recognize them, listen to them and reaffirm that their success matters.”
For more information, contact Pre-Collegiate and Access programs at PCAAP@wcsu.edu, or the Admissions office at admissions@wcsu.edu.
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.