Supporting and Building First-gen Community in the Time of COVID-19

Navigating college can be hard; navigating college as a first-gen student may be harder. What happens when you add a global pandemic that precipitates a virtual fall semester? For many of us, the inner strength required to move through each day can seem too much to muster. Almost everything is currently uncertain, but there’s one thing we know for sure: our students and staff, especially those who identify as first-generation, are cultivating and strengthening their resilience.

Preparing for the fall semester came with the typical hype, but this year is different because we must plan to build community virtually. To kick off the school year, American University’s (AU) Office of First-Year Advising created an Affinity Group Welcome event for incoming students who identify as Black, Latinx, Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI), LGBTQ+, and/or first-generation college students. With over 80 students in attendance, we had breakout rooms in Zoom that allowed students to connect with others who share their identities. Our first-gen students crave that community and connection to others. They independently created first-gen GroupMe chats, and we were delighted to see them immediately exchange social media information. We made a space for them to connect, and now we can’t wait to help them build community together.

Rooted in the belief that our students are filled with knowledge, AU’s Center for Diversity & Inclusion (CDI) will continue supporting first-generation students by hosting monthly breakfast sessions called First Fridays, where students, faculty, and staff are invited to come together and share a meal. These sessions are great because people get to know each other and hear about their journeys to and through college–and beyond. CDI’s First Fridays has helped our students see professionals on campus beyond titles and experience. The series has helped humanize staff, administrators, and faculty: thereby creating avenues for mentorship.

Our first-gen students desire to break down barriers and build connections, and we are happy to help them accomplish this: whether virtually or in person.

This year, we’ll create volume two of our First-Gen Yearbook. Last year’s First-Gen Yearbook involved roughly 80 faculty and staff members who identified as first-gen students during their time as undergraduates. The purpose of the Yearbook is to highlight faculty and staff, and in doing so, the Yearbook allows students to connect with them around their shared identities as first-gen students–and to see the pathways in which they can thrive. Our students have definitely enjoyed connecting with faculty and staff on a more personal level, as they have learned that they often have shared experiences, common goals, and even similar paths. As more faculty and staff volunteer for volume two, we are excited at the prospect of increased connection with our first-generation college students. Our first-gen students desire to break down barriers and build connections, and we are happy to help them accomplish this: whether virtually or in person.

The present, and the future, are unclear for so many reasons this academic year, yet we remain optimistic and dedicated to providing our students access to resources and opportunities. They continue to seek connection, so we’ll continue to find opportunities to create it for them. We know that this extraordinary experience will ultimately fortify and empower us all–students, professionals, and our entire campus community.