Using Required Courses to Expand First-Gen Mentorship Accessibility
The authors present a departmental initiative designed to address gaps first-gen students face in accessing career mentorship.
Teaching Sociology / May 30, 2023
This article describes three female professors’ experiences to attain degrees (bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate) as first-generation college students (FGCS) and become academics. Their individual stories are shared through narratives, which capture crucial episodes of overcoming challenges. Because completion of a terminal degree by FGCS (of the Baby Boomer generation) is statistically low, these professors are outliers to the norm. Discussion identifies factors that aided the educators in their educational advancement.
