This Sunday, Nov. 8, will mark the 9th annual First-Generation College Celebration Day, launched in 2017 to bring awareness to the barriers that can make it harder for students to pursue a four-year degree and to celebrate the first-generation students who succeed in overcoming those barriers.
For both of us, this day has tremendous personal significance. Although we grew up in completely different circumstances 鈥� one of us the son of sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South, the other a daughter of middle-class parents in suburban New Jersey 鈥� we share the experience of being the first person in our families to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree.
We each found that college was a passport to a world we could barely have imagined. It introduced us to mentors and teachers who inspired us to pursue our passions. And we both discovered a love of scientific exploration that launched us into careers as researchers and educators. Eventually, we also both went on to pursue careers as leaders in higher education, in large part because it enabled us to create the kind of opportunities for students that we were lucky enough to benefit from. That includes ensuring that financial means are never a barrier to applying or enrolling in our public university, and it鈥檚 the principle that drives our commitment to affordable access and the Husky Promise.
As university administrators, we also recognize that for people who are the first in their families to pursue a degree, college often presents hurdles and challenges beyond admittance and enrollment. For first-generation students and their families, college can be a new experience in navigating an unfamiliar culture and systems, from class registration to filling out financial aid forms. The 鈥渋nvisible curriculum鈥� 鈥� the unwritten rules and norms of college life 鈥� can be especially challenging for students without a parent or relative who can share their experience. At the UW, where about one third of our students are first-gen, we provide resources to and their families to answer questions and provide support.
We invite every member of our UW community to join us in supporting our first-generation students鈥� dreams on Nov. 8 and every day. And to all the first-generation students currently enrolled or thinking about pursuing a four-year degree, we want you to know that the UW is here to welcome you, support you and celebrate your success.
Robert J. Jones聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Tricia Serio
President聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs