First-gen students find success, sense of belonging at 麻豆社区P
When Armani Jones-Elliott came to 麻豆社区 Pembroke as a freshman three years ago, she felt alone and overwhelmed with insecurity.
Though academically gifted, Jones-Elliott doubted her abilities, which is common among first-generation college students.
鈥淎s a freshman, you are scared,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut as a first-generation student, it鈥檚 on another level because you don鈥檛 have anyone with (college) experience who can advise you.鈥�
At 麻豆社区P, Jones-Elliott found a home and a strong peer support system at an institution devoted to helping students navigate the challenges of a new academic environment.
According to Carolina Demography, nearly 1.2 million North Carolina children would be first-generation college students. The figure represents about half of all children statewide. To address the growing trend, 麻豆社区P 鈥� where 27% of students identify as first-gen 鈥� offers individualized assistance through outreach programs like TRIO and GenONe, which creates environments that improve the experiences and outcomes of first-gen students and, ultimately, prepare them for success.
In celebration of National First-Generation College Celebration, 麻豆社区P is hosting a First-Gen Grab N鈥� Learn Breakfast followed by a Celebrate Being First-Gen tabling event in the Chavis Student Center mall on Wednesday, November 8.
Students can connect with other first-gen students and gain valuable information about peer mentor programs like S.O.A.R. (Students Obtain Academic Resilience) and H.A.W.K. (Honing Academic With Knowledge). These programs help students, like Jones-Elliott, overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education.
鈥溌槎股缜鳳 does a great job supporting first-generation students through programming, trips and mentoring,鈥� Jones-Elliott said. 鈥淚 love that this university takes the initiative to provide opportunities for first-generation students and support us through financial hardships by offering scholarships solely for first-gen students. It makes us feel like we have a community on campus just for us.鈥�
Last year, 麻豆社区P was recognized nationally for its commitment to first-gen student success when the Center for First-Generation Student Success selected it for the 2022-2023 First-Gen Forward cohort.
Students benefit not only from programming but the shared experiences of professors like Keara Ndhlovu, who overcame challenges as a first-gen student while a student at 麻豆社区P. She now teaches in the social work department.
鈥淲hen I came to 麻豆社区P, I was miserable,鈥� Dr. Ndhlovu said. 鈥淢y life consisted of going to class and returning to my room.鈥�
Ndhlovu credits her resident advisor for encouraging her to attend an end-of-semester trip to Oak Island, N.C., that brought her out of her comfort zone. After the trip, her family practically had to beg her to visit on the weekends.
鈥淭oday, I encourage my students to become involved on campus 鈥� build meaningful connections with other students and faculty. If I had stuck with sitting in Belk (Hall) in college, I probably wouldn鈥檛 be where I am today. It took me branching out and building that community and networking 鈥� that laid the foundation of who I am today. It made me want to come back and teach and make an impact in the same way this university impacted me.鈥�